Week 2 Basic Principles

Question 1

What are direct sustainable behaviors?

Answer 1

Direct behaviors are those related to how well people in the community follow
sustainable protocols or engage in sustainable behaviors such as recycling and
reducing energy use.

Question 2

What are indirect sustainable behaviors?

Answer 2

Indirect behaviors that sustainability include decision makers behaviors that effect the members of the community engaging in sustainable behaviors. These
include legislation and rule-making.

Question 3

Why is it important to make observations of sustainable behavior?

Answer 3

So we can know if the program is effective, and to provide feedback

Question 4

What are four reasons people engage in unsustainable behavior?

Answer 4

1. Unsustainable behavior is faster
2. Unsustainable behavior is less effortful
3. Unsustainable behavior is less expensive in the short term
4. Unsustainable behavior is more comfortable

Question 5

When are prompts most effective? (What things make a prompt effective?)

Answer 5

1. They occur just before you want the behavior to occur
2. They are placed where you will see them or they are very salient
3. The prompt describes or depicts consequences
4. Prompted behavior is reinforced

Question 6

Define Positive Reinforcers and give an example

Answer 6

Something that increases the frequency of a behavior that produces it

Question 7

Define Negative Reinforcer and give an example

Answer 7

Something that increases the frequency of something that removes it

Question 8

What is a Motivating Operation (MO)?

Answer 8

Motivating operations are environmental variables that: alter the effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event as a reinforcer, and alter the current frequency of all behavior that has been reinforced by that stimulus, object, or event.

Question 9

What is a positive punisher and provide an example?

Answer 9

A positive punisher decreases the frequency of a behavior that produces it

Question 10

What is a negative punisher and provide an example?

Answer 10

A negative punisher decreases the frequency of a behavior that removes it

Question 11

What is Extinction?

Answer 11

Discontinuing reinforcement for a behavior

Question 12

What are four factors related to what non-scientists call habits?

Answer 12

The development of good stimulus control over a behavior.
Positive Models for the behavior.
Prompts from others.
Proficiency at the behavior, It occurs automatically.

Question 13

What are the three elements of ABC analysis?

Answer 13

1. Antecedents – Stimuli, person, place or a thing. Includes prompts
2. Behavior – What you do
3. Consequences – An event or change in the environment that follows a behavior
   reinforcement and punishment

Question 14

What is Stimulus Control?

Answer 14

Stimulus control occurs when a behavior is reinforced in the presence of one stimulus and extinguished in its absence. It can also be established by fading anther stimulus that already controls the behavior.

Question 15

What are the three dichotomies in the PIC NIC analysis?

Answer 15

1. Consequence
   a. positive to the performer
   b. negative to the performer
2. Timing of the Consequence
   a. immediate
   b. future
3. Probability of the Consequence Occurring
   a. certain
   b. uncertain

Question 16

15. Be able to perform a PIC NIC analysis for recycling behaviors. Try to do this
    for those involving compost recycling, and recycling of plastics, glass and
    metals.

Question 17

What is the relationship between immediate reinforcement and learning?

Answer 17

Immediate consequences are important when teaching new behaviors. Future (delayed) consequences work to maintain them. Very long-term future consequences tend to be discounted for a number of reasons. Large Negative consequences are just as effective the next day as the same day provided they are consistent. Magnitude is a variable.

Question 18

What is the relationship between certain and uncertain behaviors?

Answer 18

This is a large variable. But events are rarely certain. Many reasons for
engaging in unsustainable behavior are the certain positive consequences
(faster less effortful) but the negative consequences, though very large, are
highly uncertain.

Question 19

Describe the relationship between PIC NIC and behavior?

Answer 19

Consequences that are Positive, Immediate, and Certain and Negative,
Immediate, and Certain are the most powerful of all

Question 20

What is the most important variable for punishment?

Answer 20

Whether it is certain

Question 21

How can you minimize side effects of punishment?

Answer 21

Get everyone to agree with the goal.

Given as a point of concern and not a reprimand.

Best as warning without a sanction, particularly if the MO is in place.

Question 22

What are four types of feedback?

Answer 22

Graphic feedback

Feedback Charts

Written feedback

Verbal feedback