operant conditioning 2

Question 1

Describe the concept of intermittent schedules of reinforcement.

Answer 1

Intermittent schedules of reinforcement involve reinforcing some, but not all, occurrences of a behavior.

Question 2

Define extinction in behavioral terms.

Answer 2

Extinction is a process where a previously reinforced behavior decreases in frequency because it is no longer reinforced.

Question 3

Describe the concept of shaping in behavioral psychology.

Answer 3

Shaping is the process of reinforcing successive approximations to a desired behavior, gradually guiding behavior closer to the target.

Question 4

Explain the role of differential reinforcement in shaping behaviors.

Answer 4

Differential reinforcement in shaping involves reinforcing behaviors that are closer and closer approximations to the final target behavior, gradually shaping the desired behavior.

Question 5

What is the purpose of using intermittent reinforcement schedules in applied settings?

Answer 5

In applied settings, intermittent reinforcement schedules are used to maintain a behavior after it has been established through continuous reinforcement.

Question 6

How does extinction occur in classical conditioning?

Answer 6

In classical conditioning, extinction happens when the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus, leading to a decrease in the conditioned response.

Question 7

Define operant extinction in the context of behavioral psychology.

Answer 7

Operant extinction occurs when reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior is discontinued, resulting in a decrease in the frequency of that behavior in the future.

Question 8

Describe differential reinforcement.

Answer 8

Differential reinforcement is a procedure where reinforcement is provided for responses that exhibit a specific quality, while responses lacking that quality are not reinforced.

Question 9

Define extinction burst in behavioral psychology.

Answer 9

Extinction burst refers to an initial increase in the frequency or intensity of a behavior when it no longer receives reinforcement.

Question 10

How does spontaneous recovery relate to extinction in behavioral psychology?

Answer 10

Spontaneous recovery refers to the reappearance of a behavior after it has decreased during extinction, though it is usually short-lived if the extinction procedure continues.

Question 11

Describe the variability in extinction rates.

Answer 11

Extinction rates are unpredictable and vary among individuals, influenced by factors like motivating operations and the history of reinforcement for the behavior.

Question 12

What are some advantages of using shaping in behavioral interventions?

Answer 12

Shaping can teach new behaviors systematically, maintain the target behavior in sight, and can be combined with other effective behavioral change procedures.

Question 13

Describe a potential disadvantage of using shaping in behavioral interventions.

Answer 13

One disadvantage of shaping is that it can be time-consuming, requiring many approximations before reaching the desired behavior.

Question 14

How can shaping be misapplied in behavioral interventions?

Answer 14

Shaping can be misapplied, for example, when a child engages in attention-seeking behavior like shouting, which can inadvertently be reinforced through shaping techniques.

Question 15

Define response effort in behavior psychology.

Answer 15

Response effort refers to the amount of effort required to perform a behavior.

Question 16

Describe the concept of resistance to extinction behavior psychology.

Answer 16

Behaviors reinforced for longer periods are more resistant to extinction.

Question 17

Explain the Goal-Gradient Hypothesis proposed by Clark Hull.

Answer 17

It states that the tendency to approach a goal increases as one gets closer to the goal.

Question 18

What is the key aspect in effective extinction procedures?

Answer 18

Consistently withholding the reinforcement.

Question 19

Describe continuous reinforcement.

Answer 19

Continuous reinforcement provides reinforcement for each and every occurrence of a behavior, such as getting water every time you turn on a tap.

Question 20

Define schedules of reinforcement.

Answer 20

Schedules of reinforcement refer to the different patterns or timing of delivering reinforcement for behaviors, such as continuous reinforcement where reinforcement is provided for every occurrence of a behavior.

Question 21

What is the role of the experimenter in shaping new behaviors in operant conditioning?

Answer 21

The experimenter plays a crucial role in shaping new behaviors by successively reinforcing responses that approximate the desired behavior, leading the organism through a process of learning and generating new responses.

Question 22

Fixed Ratio (FR) Schedule

Answer 22

Requires a fixed number of responses for reinforcement/ Results in high rates of response/ Quick responding maximizes reinforcement delivery

Question 23

variable ratio

Answer 23

a schedule of reinforcement that requires the completion of a variable number of responses produce a reinforcer

Question 24

features of a variable ratio

Answer 24

Reinforcement occurs after an average number of responses/ Participants are uncertain about when reinforcement will occur/ Produces steady, consistent rates of response/ Does not typically result in a post-reinforcement pause.

Question 25

interval schedules

Answer 25

interval schedules require an elapse of time before a response produces reinforcement.

Question 26

fixed interval

Answer 26

a fixed interval schedule of reinforcement provides reinforcement for the first response following a fixed duration of time

Question 27

variable interval

Answer 27

a variable interval schedule of reinforcement produces reinforcement for the first correct response following the elapse of variable durations of time.

Question 28

resistance to extinction - variable ratio

Answer 28

The variable ratio schedule of reinforcement is the most resistant to extinction procedures

Question 29

resistance to extinction - fixed interval

Answer 29

the fixed interval is the least resistant to extinction (easiest to put on extinction)