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Cumulative Recording
A pen and paper graph showing behavior over time, where a steep slope means a high response rate, a flat slope means no response, and dashed lines means reinforcement. Used in operant conditioning.
Conditioning the Lever-Pressing Response
The process of training an animal to ensure that the action is within its natural behavioral repertoire and reinforcing it appropriately.
Deprivation
Denying access to a reinforcer to prime motivation and enhance the effectiveness of the reinforcer in operant conditioning.
Magazine Training
A preliminary stage in operant conditioning where an animal learns to associate a neutral stimulus with the delivery of a reinforcer, signaling when reinforcement is available.
Shaping
Step-wise training reinforcing closer and closer approximations to a single desired behavior
Differential Reinforcement
A form of shaping where you reinforce any correct behavior then refine the behavior by reinforcing the more correct behavior to get closer to the desired behavior
Extinction
The weakening and eventual disappearance of a behavior when reinforcement stops.
Spontaneous Recovery
The return of an extinguished behavior after a break, showing that extinction only suppresses, not erases, learning.
Superstitious Behavior
An action mistakenly linked to reinforcement, causing it to persist despite no real connection.
Discriminative Operant
A behavior that occurs in response to specific signals (SD and SΔ)
Discriminative Stimulus (SD)
A stimulus that signals the availability of reinforcement, increasing the likelihood of a specific behavior.
Stimulus Delta (SΔ)
A stimulus that signals the absence of reinforcement, reducing the likelihood of a specific behavior.
Secondary Reinforcer
A stimulus paired with a primary reinforcer only in that specific context (e.g. clicker in animal training)
Generalized Reinforcer
A type of secondary reinforcer that is associated with multiple primary reinforcers, making it highly effective in maintaining behavior
Chaining
Reinforcing step-by-step actions to build a complex behavior, where each step cues the next.
Positive Reinforcement
The process of increasing the likelihood of a behavior by adding a desirable stimulus following the response.
Negative Reinforcement
The process of increasing a behavior by removing an aversive stimulus.
Punishment
A consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again, aimed to weaken or eliminate behavior.
Positive Punishment
The addition of an aversive stimulus to decrease behavior.
Negative Punishment
The removal of a desirable stimulus to decrease behavior.
Alternatives to Punishment
Methods to reduce unwanted behavior without punishment, like changing the environment or ignoring minor misbehaviors.
Continuous Reinforcement
A schedule of reinforcement in which every instance of the desired behavior is followed by reinforcement. More likely to be extinct.
Partial Reinforcement
A reinforcement schedule where only some behaviors are rewarded, making the behavior more resistant to extinction.
Schedules of Reinforcement
Fixed Interval, Fixed Ratio, Variable Interval, Variable Ratio
Fixed Interval
Reinforcement is available after a fixed amount of time.
Produces "scalloping" behavior (graph shows scooped patterns).
Fixed Ratio
Reinforcement occurs after a set number of responses.
Produces "step-like" patterns on a graph
Variable Interval
The time intervals between reinforcement vary but average out over time.
Produces a gradual, steady response pattern (shown as a smooth line on a graph).
Variable Ratio
Reinforcement is given after an unpredictable number of responses, averaging a set number.
Produces high, continuous response rates (graph appears as jagged peaks)
Premack’s Principle
A principle of operant conditioning stating that a more preferred behavior can reinforce a less preferred behavior.
Instinctual Drift
The tendency for learned behaviors to revert to instinctual behaviors, interfering with conditioning.
Misbehavior of Organisms
A concept from Breland & Breland's research showing that animals sometimes can’t properly perform trained behaviors due to instinctual behaviors.
Noncontingent Reinforcer
Reinforcer has NOTHING to do with the behavior
