Section B

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to reinforcement, punishment, operant conditioning, and behavior analysis.

Positive Reinforcement

A response followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus change that increases the future occurrence of similar responses.

Negative Reinforcement

A contingency where a response is followed immediately by the termination or reduction of a stimulus, leading to an increase in similar responses.

Positive Punishment

A response followed by the presentation of a stimulus that decreases the future frequency of the behavior.

Negative Punishment

A response followed by the removal of a stimulus, leading to a decrease in the future frequency of that behavior.

Automatically Mediated Contingencies

Behavior evoked or affected by environmental variables without direct manipulation by others.

Socially Mediated Contingencies

Contingencies where the antecedent or consequence for a behavior is presented by another person.

Unconditioned Reinforcer

A stimulus change that increases behavior without prior learning, often due to evolutionary development.

Conditioned Reinforcer

A stimulus change that functions as a reinforcer due to prior pairing with unconditioned reinforcers.

Generalized Reinforcer

A conditioned reinforcer that does not depend on a specific establishing operation for its effectiveness.

Unconditioned Punisher

A stimulus change that decreases behavior without prior learning, due to evolutionary development.

Conditioned Punisher

A previously neutral stimulus that functions as a punisher through prior pairing with other punishers.

Generalized Punisher

A punisher that has become effective due to a history of being paired with other punishers.

Continuous Reinforcement (CRF)

A schedule that provides reinforcement for each occurrence of a target behavior.

Intermittent Schedules of Reinforcement

Reinforcement provided for some, but not all occurrences of a behavior.

Fixed Ratio (FR)

A reinforcement schedule that delivers reinforcement after a fixed number of responses.

Variable Ratio (VR)

A reinforcement schedule requiring a varying number of responses for reinforcement.

Fixed Interval (FI)

A reinforcement schedule providing reinforcement for the first response after a fixed duration of time.

Variable Interval (VI)

A reinforcement schedule that delivers reinforcement for the first response after varying durations of time.

Operant Extinction

The process of eliminating a behavior by discontinuing the reinforcer maintaining it.

Extinction Burst

An initial increase in the frequency of the behavior before it decreases during extinction.

Stimulus Control

When the frequency or nature of a behavior is altered by the presence or absence of an antecedent stimulus.

Discrimination

The ability to identify a specific stimulus among other stimuli.

Generalization

When behaviors extend to new people, places, situations, or similar behaviors.

Unconditioned Motivating Operation (UMO)

A motivating operation whose value-altering effect does not depend on a learning history.

Rule-Governed Behavior

Behavior controlled by a verbal rule that enables human actions based on future, less probable consequences.

Contingency-Shaped Behavior

Behavior acquired through direct experience with consequences of actions.

Mand

A verbal operant evoked by a motivating operation, allowing a speaker to request items or actions.

Tact

A verbal operant evoked by a nonverbal stimulus, allowing a speaker to describe or identify features.

Intraverbal

A verbal operant evoked by a verbal stimulus without point-to-point correspondence to the stimulus.

Emergent Stimulus Relations

Stimulus relations that are not directly taught but emerge from related instruction or experience.

Reflexivity

A concept where a learner recognizes identical stimuli as matching (A=A).

Symmetry

Occurs when learning that A=B allows the learner to match B=A.

Transitivity

Demonstrates understanding through matching A=B and B=C, leading to A=C.

Equivalence

Achieved when a learner demonstrates reflexivity, symmetry, and transitivity on stimulus-stimulus relations.

Generative Learning

Acquisition of new skills through existing speaker and listener skills without direct instruction.

Behavior

Any observable action made by a person or animal.

Consequences

Results or effects that follow a behavior, influencing its future occurrence.

Antecendent Stimulus

A stimulus that occurs before a behavior and influences its probability.

Evoked Behavior

Behavior that is triggered by a specific antecedent stimulus.

Response Requirement

The specific actions or conditions needed to earn reinforcement in a schedule.

Environmental Arrangements

The specific setup of conditions and stimuli in an environment to influence behavior.

Temporal Control

Manipulating the timing of reinforcement to influence the behavior associated with it.

Behavior Modification

Systematic application of learning principles to change behavior.

Response Cost

A form of negative punishment that involves the loss of tokens or privileges.

Contingency

The relationship between a behavior and its consequences.

Behavioral Shaping

Gradually reinforcing closer and closer approximations of a desired behavior.

Behavior Analysis

The scientific study of behaviors, their influence and management.

Functional Assessment

A process of identifying the reasons for a behavior to inform intervention strategies.