Reinforcement, extinction, punishment

Question 1

What is reinforcement?

Answer 1

The procedure of providing consequences for a behaviour that increase/maintain the frequency of that behaviour

Question 2

What is a reinforcer?

Answer 2

An event that, when made contingent on a behaviour, increases/maintains the frequency of that behaviour

Question 3

What is a positive reinforcer?

Answer 3

A reinforcing event in which something is added following a behaviour

Question 4

What is a negative reinforcer?

Answer 4

A reinforcing even in which something is removed following a behaviour

Question 5

What is a primary reinforcer?

Answer 5

Reinforcers that are not dependent on their association with other reinforcers - usually related to basic human needs, e.g., food, warmth

Question 6

What is a secondary reinforcer?

Answer 6

Reinforcers that are dependent on their association with other reinforcers - dependent on learning

Question 7

What are contrived reinforcers?

Answer 7

Reinforcers that have been arranged by someone for the purpose of modifying behaviour

Question 8

What are natural reinforcers?

Answer 8

Reinforcers that haven’t been arranged by someone for the purpose of modifying behaviour

Question 9

What are the rules for using reinforcement?

Answer 9

1. Define target behaviour
2. Select appropriate reinforcers
3. Make reinforcers immediate and certain
4. Monitor results

Question 10

Which type of reinforcers are better to use?

Answer 10

Positive, secondary, and natural

Question 11

What is the problem with time delay?

Answer 11

Allows other behaviour to occur - reinforcer should be contingent on target behaviour

Question 12

What are the 4 problems with reinforcement?

Answer 12

1. Bootleg reinforcement
2. Reliance on reinforcement
3. Behaviour contrast
4. Inappropriate use

Question 13

What is bootleg reinforcement?

Answer 13

When reinforcement comes from other sources other than the interventionist

Question 14

What does reliance on the reinforcement mean?

Answer 14

Target behaviour stops when the reinforcement stops

Question 15

What is behaviour contrast?

Answer 15

When reinforced behaviour doesn’t generalise to situations which it hasn’t been reinforced in in the past

Question 16

What is extinction?

Answer 16

Withholding the reinforcers that maintain a target behaviour - about decreasing the frequency of a behaviour

Question 17

What are the rules for using extinction?

Answer 17

1. Define target behaviour
2. Identify the reinforcers that maintain the target behaviour
3. Withhold all reinforcement of the target behaviour
4. Monitor results

Question 18

Why is occasional reinforcement bad in extinction?

Answer 18

Can maintain the behaviour at pretty high rates - partial reinforcement effect

Question 19

What is the partial reinforcement effect?

Answer 19

Increased resistance to extinction following intermittent reinforcement

Question 20

What are the four problems with extinction?

Answer 20

1. Uncontrolled reinforcement
2. It can be slow
3. Extinction bursts
4. Spontaneous recovery

Question 21

What is uncontrolled reinforcement in extinction?

Answer 21

Some reinfrocers can be intrinsically reinforcing

Question 22

What are extinction bursts?

Answer 22

A sharp increase in teh frequency of the behaviour on extinction

Question 23

What is spontaneous recovery in extinction?

Answer 23

Behaviour can come back by itself - only a problem if the behaviour is reinforced again

Question 24

What is differential reinforcement?

Answer 24

Any procedure that combines reinforcement and extinction to change the frequency of a target behaviour

Question 25

What are the three types of differential reinforcement?

Answer 25

1. Differential reinforcement of low rate
2. Differential reinforcement of alternate behaviour
3. Differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviour

Question 26

What is differential reinforcement of low rate?

Answer 26

Reinforcing the behaviour when it occurs at a low rate

Question 27

What is differential reinforcement of alternate behaviour?

Answer 27

Take the reinforcers that were available for the problematic behaviour and give it to the person for more desirable behaviour

Question 28

What is differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviour?

Answer 28

It is a version of differential reinforcement of alternate behaviour but the difference is that generally the behaviours are incompatible with each other

Question 29

What are the rules for using differential reinforcement?

Answer 29

1. Define the target behaviour
2. Extinguish the undesirable behaviour
3. Reinforce the desirable target behaviour
4. Monitor results

Question 30

What is punishment?

Answer 30

The procedure of providing consequences for a behaviour that decrease the frequency of that behaviour

Question 31

What is a punisher?

Answer 31

An event that, when made contingent on a behaviour, decreases the frequency of that behaviour

Question 32

What are the 5 types of punishment?

Answer 32

Reprimanding, response cost, time out, over correction, physical punishment

Question 33

What is reprimanding?

Answer 33

Providing some sort of expression of disapproval

Question 34

What is response cost?

Answer 34

A price to pay if you’ve done something wrong

Question 35

What is time out?

Answer 35

To reduce the frequency of a target behaviour by making removal of a person from the reinforcing environment contingent on the target behaviour

Question 36

What is over correction?

Answer 36

To reduce the frrequency of a target behaviour by making restitution for damage done and repeated performance of appropriate behaviour contingent on the target behaviour

Question 37

What is physical punishment?

Answer 37

Making brief and non-injurious contact with the skin contingent on the target behaviour

Question 38

What are the rules for using punishment?

Answer 38

1. Define target behaviour
2. Select the appropriate punishers
3. Make punishment immediate and certain
4. Use extinction and differential reinforcement
5. Monitor results

Question 39

What are the problems with punishment?

Answer 39

1. Negative side effects - anger/fear, angry with interventionist, interventionist associated with the aversive consequence
2. Inappropriate use