Terminology

Question 1

SD

Answer 1

Descriminative Stimulus

Question 2

Attitude Shaping

Answer 2

Anthropomorphic term referring to reinforcing specific behaviours which the trainer believes represents a frame of mind.

Question 3

Successive Approximation

Answer 3

One of many progressive steps from simple to complex behaviour. Leading to desired goal, raising the requirement for reinforcement.

E.g once a child learns to write and has been reinforced for that behaviour. Don’t reinforce until that writing is written inside the lines. Once reinforced, don’t reinforce again until writing is done more neatly. This is the process of shaping using successive approximations.

Question 4

Habituate

Answer 4

Getting the animal use to it’s surroundings allowing them to go under stimulus control & giving them the ability to ignore surroundings.

Question 5

Operant conditioning

Answer 5

A type of learning where something is either added or subtracted from the environment to either increase or decrease the behaviour

Question 6

Counter conditioning

Answer 6

Associating something scary or uncomfortable with something positively reinforcing, encouraging & increasing the behaviour.

Question 7

Timeout

Answer 7

Removal of opportunity for positive reinforcement.

E.g turning your back or walking away from the session.

Question 8

Fading

Answer 8

Changing the cue

E.g 2 hand bye too 1 hand wave

Question 9

Assimilation

Answer 9

Tendency to apply old ideas & responses to new objects or problems

Question 10

Desensitisation

Answer 10

Gradually removing fear via small slow exposure to stimulus (emotions)

E.g movement, sounds, lighting surrounding the animal.

Question 11

What is Construct

Answer 11

Something that cannot be directly observed.

E.g intelligence, motivation

Also know as anthropomorphic assumption.

Question 12

What is shaping

Answer 12

Process of reinforcing successively closer & closer approximations to a desired behaviour

Question 13

Continuous reinforcement schedule

Answer 13

Using a positive reinforcement each time the desired behaviour is exhibited.

Used mostly in the early stages of learning.

Question 14

Extinction

Answer 14

Gradual disappearance of an acquired response - resulting from repeated lack of reinforcement for the response.

Occurs during the shaping process.

Question 15

Partial reinforcement schedule

Answer 15

Response is reinforced only part of the time.

Also known as intermittent reinforcement schedule.

Question 16

What are 4 types of partial reinforcement schedules?

Answer 16

Fixed ratio -
occur when response is reinforced only after a specific amount of responses
E.g. rewarded with every 5 books you read

Variable ratio -
schedule where a response is reinforced after an unpredictable amount of responses
E.g. gambling

Fixed interval -
response is rewarded only after specific amount of time has elapsed
E.g. getting paid bi weekly

Variable interval -
Response is rewarded after unpredictable amount of time
E.g. promotions

Question 17

Extinction burst

Answer 17

The initial increase in the frequency and magnitude of the behaviour prior to the gradual decrease & extinction of behaviour.