Instrumental Conditioning

What is instrumental learning?

The learning of a contingency between a behaviour and a consequence.

What is the law of effect?

Behaviours with positive consequences are stamped in and performed more frequently. Those with negative consequences are stamped out and performed less frequently.

What does “operant” refer to?

The behaviour.

What is a reinforcer?

Any stimulus that is presented after a response that impacts the frequency that the response is performed.

What is a primary reinforcer?

Have intrinsic value, like access to food, water, or a mate.

What is a secondary reinforcer?

Only comes to be reinforcing through previous learning (like money).

What is Thorndike’s puzzle box?

Hungry cat placed in a box with a mechanism that allows it to escape. Cat is rewarded with food.

What is an operant chamber?

Special chamber with a lever or other mechanism by which an animal can respond to produce a reinforcer such as a food pellet

What is a cumulative recorder?

Records cumulative response rate during an instrumental conditioning

What is reward training?

Presentation of a positive reinforcer, which increases the frequency of the behaviour.

What is punishment training?

Presentation of a negative reinforcer, which decreases the frequency of the behaviour.

Why can punishment training be unethical?

Authority figure may be associated with stress (classical conditioning).

What is omission training?

Removal of a positive reinforcer, decreasing the frequency of the behaviour.

What is escape training?

Removal of a negative reinforcer, increasing the frequency of the behaviour.

When is instrumental conditioning most effective?

When the consequence immediately follows the response.

What is the testing effect?

Learning is better facilitated by testing - forced memory recall - than repeated episodes of studying and reviewing material (testing must allow for high success rates and feedback must be available)

What is autoshaping?

Learning without direct guidance.

What is shaping by successive approximation?

Complex behavior is organized in small approximations, each reinforced with a reward, that eventually builds up.

What is chaining?

A technique used to develop a sequence of behaviours. Each behaviour is reinforced with the opportunity to perform the next behaviour in a sequence.

What is the difference between shaping and chaining?

In shaping, behaviour is reinforced only if it is closer approximation to the final behaviour than the behaviour last reinforced. Chaining reinforces the behaviour so long as it is performed in a defined order.

What is a discriminative stimulus (SD / S+)?

Signals when a contingency between a behaviour and reinforcement is on. Can be generalized for a varied response rate.

What is S delta or S-?

Indicates when contingency between a behaviour and reinforcement is not valid. Can lead to better stimulus discrimination.

What are contrast effects?

Changes in the value of a reward lead to shifts in response rate.

When does negative contrast occur?

A response originally receiving a high reward is shifted to a lower reward; results in reduced responding

When does positive contrast occur?

A response originally receiving a low reward is shifted to a higher reward; results in increased responding.

What is the overjustification effect?

A newly introduced reward for a previously unrewarded task can alter an individual’s perception of that task. Task previously regarded as having intrinsic values now viewed as work with extrinsic value.

What is continuous reinforcement?

A response leads to a reinforcement on every trial.

What are 2 types of partial reinforcement?

By total responses or time.

What is ratio schedule reinforcement?

FR-1 (every 1 time) vs FR-10 (every 10 responses).

What is interval schedule of reinforcement?

FI-1 (every 1 minute). FI-10 (every 10 minutes).

What is a variable reinforcement schedule?

Averaging ratio or interval, but each reinforcement, it changes.

What is post-reinforcement pause?

Organism momentarily stops responding before starting up again (after a reinforcement).

What is ratio strain?

When a fixed ratio schedule is too stingy, leading to loss of response.

What does the cumulative record for a fixed-ratio schedule look like?

Pause and run pattern.

What does the cumulative record for a variable-ratio schedule look like?

Linear diagonal line running upwards. Slope reflects the average number of responses before reinforcement.

What does the cumulative record for a fixed-interval schedule look like?

Scallop pattern. Following reinforcement, there is a lull period, then responding slowly starts picking up and peaks right before reinforcement.

What does the cumulative record for a variable-interval schedule look like?

Straight line. More frequent reinforcement will lead to steeper slope.

Is learning more robust (resistant to extinction) on a partial or continuous reinforcement schedule?

Partial reinforcement schedule, since there is less expectation for reinforcement.

Is learning more robust (resistant to extinction) on a fixed or variable reinforcement schedule?

Variable reinforcement schedule, since there is less expectation for reinforcement.

What is extinction?

Stopping of a desired behavior once reinforcement is no longer given.

What are mirror neurons?

A cell that responds in the same way when performing an action as it does when the organism possessing that cell observes someone else perform the action or even imagines performing the action.