Principles of Operant Conditioning

A set of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the principles of operant conditioning.

Contingencies

The relationships between behaviours and the environmental events that influence behaviour.

Antecedent

Stimuli, settings, and contexts that occur before behaviour.

Behaviour

The acts themselves that are influenced by antecedents and consequences.

Consequence

Events that follow behaviour and affect future likelihood of that behaviour.

Setting events

Contextual factors or conditions that influence behaviour and alter the effectiveness of consequences.

Prompt

Specific antecedents that facilitate performance of behaviour by demonstrating what, how, and when to do it.

Fading

The gradual removal of prompts as training progresses.

Discriminative stimulus

A stimulus whose presence has been associated with reinforcement.

Stimulus control

When responses are differentially controlled by antecedent stimuli.

Shaping

Reinforcement of successive approximations of the final response.

Chaining

Developing a sequence of responses that comprises one behaviour.

Positive reinforcement

Following a response, leads to an increase in the future likelihood of that response.

Negative reinforcement

Following a response, leads to an increase in the future likelihood of that response by removing an aversive event.

Unconditioned reinforcer

Reinforcing without special learning or training, such as food or water.

Conditioned reinforcer

Acquire reinforcing value through learning, such as money or praise.

Positive punishment

Decrease in the future likelihood of a response by presenting an aversive event.

Negative punishment

Decrease in the future likelihood of a response by removing a favourable consequence.

Extinction

The cessation of the consequences of a response leading to a decrease or increase in the likelihood of that response.

Discrimination

When an individual responds differently under different stimulus conditions.

Generalization

The extending effects of the behaviour change program beyond the training contingency.