Exam 2 Behavioral Analysis

What is positive reinforcement?

The addition of a stimulus following a behavior that increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.

What are the three key parts of positive reinforcement?

(1) A behavior occurs, (2) A stimulus is added immediately after, (3) The behavior increases in frequency due to the added stimulus.

Give an example of positive reinforcement.

A child receives a cookie for completing their homework, making them more likely to do homework in the future.

What is negative reinforcement?

The removal or avoidance of an aversive stimulus following a behavior that increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.

What are the three key parts of negative reinforcement?

(1) A behavior occurs, (2) An aversive stimulus is removed, (3) The behavior increases in frequency due to the removal of the stimulus.

Give an example of negative reinforcement.

A student turns in homework early to avoid being scolded, making them more likely to turn in homework early in the future.

Which type of behavior is influenced by reinforcement?

Operant behavior

Define operant.

a type of behavior that is voluntary and controlled by its consequences.

How do positive and negative reinforcement differ?

Positive reinforcement adds a stimulus, while negative reinforcement removes a stimulus to increase behavior.

What is the difference between conditioned and unconditioned reinforcers?

Unconditioned reinforcers are naturally reinforcing (e.g., food), while conditioned reinforcers acquire reinforcing properties through association (e.g., money).

What factors influence the effectiveness of reinforcement?

Motivating Operations, Magnitude, Contingency, and Response Effort.

What is a Fixed Ratio (FR) reinforcement schedule?

Reinforcement occurs after a fixed number of responses.

What is operant extinction?

when a previously reinforced behavior is no longer reinforced, leading to a decrease in that behavior.

What is an extinction burst?

the temporary increase in the frequency or intensity of a behavior when reinforcement is first removed.

When does ignoring a behavior function as extinction?

when the behavior was previously maintained by attention.

Which reinforcement schedule produces the most extinction-resistant behaviors?

Variable Ratio (VR) schedules

What are NS, US, UR, CS, and CR in conditioning?

NS: A stimulus that does not produce a response; US: A stimulus that naturally triggers a response; UR: A natural reaction to the US; CS: A previously neutral stimulus that elicits a response after association with US; CR: The learned response to the CS.

What is a Conditioned Emotional Response (CER)?

an emotional reaction that becomes conditioned to a specific stimulus after repeated pairings with an aversive event.

What is shaping?

reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior.

What are successive approximations?

Incremental steps or behaviors that gradually move toward the desired target behavior.

What is the role of reinforcement in shaping?

used to reinforce each successive approximation.

What must you do before implementing operant extinction?

Ensure you know the behavior’s reinforcement history and potential negative side effects.

What are generalization and maintenance?

Generalization is when a behavior spreads across different contexts; maintenance is when the behavior continues over time after intervention ends.

What is fear in operant and respondent behavior?

can be a conditioned emotional response or a classical response to stimuli predicting harm.

What is systematic desensitization?

Gradual exposure to fear-inducing stimuli while practicing relaxation techniques.