Operant Conditioning and Reinforcement

These flashcards cover the key concepts and terminology related to operant conditioning and reinforcement as outlined in the lecture notes.

Thorndike’s Law of Effect

Behaviors leading to a satisfying state are strengthened, while those leading to an annoying state are weakened.

Puzzle Boxes

Classic experiment by Thorndike demonstrating gradual learning in cats.

Skinner’s Selection by Consequences

Behavior shaped by its consequences, akin to natural selection.

Skinner Box

An operant chamber used to study behavior, where subject freely responds for reinforcement.

Operant Behavior

Emitted, voluntary actions that produce consequences.

Respondent Behavior

Elicited, involuntary responses typically associated with stimuli.

Reinforcer

An event that increases the future probability of a behavior.

Punisher

An event that decreases the future probability of a behavior.

Extinction

The weakening of a behavior through nonreinforcement.

Discriminative Stimulus (Sᴰ)

Signals that a consequence is available for a specific response.

Positive Reinforcement

Adding a pleasant stimulus to increase behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

Removing an aversive stimulus to increase behavior.

Positive Punishment

Adding an aversive stimulus to decrease behavior.

Negative Punishment

Removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease behavior.

Immediate Reinforcer

A reinforcer that is received immediately after a behavior.

Delayed Reinforcer

A reinforcer that is received after a delay following the behavior.

Primary Reinforcer

A biological reinforcer that doesn't require learning, such as food.

Secondary Reinforcer

A learned reinforcer that acquires its value through association.

Intrinsic Reinforcement

Reinforcement that comes from internal satisfaction.

Shaping

Gradually creating new behavior by reinforcing successive approximations.

Continuous Reinforcement (CRF)

Every response receives reinforcement.

Intermittent Reinforcement

Only some responses receive reinforcement.

Fixed Ratio (FR) Schedule

Reinforcement occurs after a fixed number of responses.

Variable Ratio (VR) Schedule

Reinforcement occurs after an unpredictable number of responses.

Fixed Interval (FI) Schedule

Reinforcement occurs after a fixed amount of time has passed.

Variable Interval (VI) Schedule

Reinforcement occurs after varying amounts of time.

Ratio Strain

Behavioral breakdown that occurs when reinforcement requirements are increased too quickly.

Differential Reinforcement of High Rates (DRH)

Reinforcing high rates of responding.

Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates (DRL)

Reinforcing low rates of responding.

Fixed Duration (FD) Schedule

Requiring continuous behavior for a fixed duration of time.

Variable Duration (VD) Schedule

Requiring behavior for a variable duration.

Noncontingent Schedules

Schedules where reinforcement is delivered independent of behavior.

Anticipatory Contrast

Response rate changes based on expected changes in reinforcement.

Escape Behavior

A response that terminates an aversive stimulus.

Avoidance Behavior

A response that prevents an aversive stimulus from occurring.

Vicarious Conditioning

Learning through observation of others' experiences.

Anxiety Conservation Hypothesis

Avoidance behavior conserves fear by preventing exposure to fear-evoking CS.

Learning vs. Performance Distinction

Learning occurs without direct reinforcement, but performance requires motivation.

Cumulative Effects Model

Each choice has small but cumulative effects toward long-term goals.

Say-Do Correspondence

The match between what one says they will do and what they actually do.

Mischel's Delay of Gratification Paradigm

Children's ability to wait for a larger reward instead of taking an immediate smaller reward.

Behavioral Bliss Point Approach

An organism's state of optimal reinforcement distribution.

Matching Law (Herrnstein)

Proportion of responses matches the proportion of reinforcers earned.

Social Learning Theory

Learning that occurs through observing the behavior of others.

Modeling

The process of learning through observation and imitation.

Bobo Doll Experiment

Study demonstrating children's observational learning of aggression.

Vicarious Reinforcement

Learning that happens when observing others being rewarded.

Rule-Governed Behavior

Behavior produced by exposure to verbal descriptions of contingencies.

S-R Theory

Behavior is a response to specific stimuli.

Drive Reduction Theory

Reinforcement occurs because it reduces physiological drives.

Premack Principle

High-probability behavior can reinforce low-probability behavior.

Resurgence

Reappearance of previously effective behaviors after extinction.

Stimulus Control

Behavior occurs reliably in the presence of a specific stimulus but not its absence.

Generalization Gradient

The tendency to respond similarly to stimuli that are similar to the discriminative stimulus.

Chained Schedule

A schedule of reinforcement that involves a sequence of two or more simple schedules.

Errorless Discrimination Learning

Using fading to decrease the likelihood of making errors during discrimination training.

Imitation in Learning

The ability to observe and replicate an action performed by another.

Behavior Contrast Effect

Changes in behavior in one schedule due to changes in another schedule.

Cumulative Record

A record that reflects the cumulative amount of responses over time.

Concurrent Schedules

Simultaneous presentation of two or more independent reinforcement schedules.