10 - Instrumental Foundations

Flashcards covering the vocabulary and key concepts of instrumental conditioning.

Law of Effect

Stimuli trigger/don’t trigger responses based on their consequences; actions followed by satisfying consequences are strengthened, while actions followed by annoying consequences are weakened.

Positive Reinforcement

Deliver appetitive event to increase frequency of behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

Remove aversive event to increase frequency of behavior.

Positive Punishment

Deliver aversive event to decrease frequency of behavior.

Negative Punishment

Remove appetitive outcome to decrease frequency of behavior.

Shaping

An 'artificial' approach using natural behavioral variability to promote learning of a specific response by rewarding successive approximations and withholding reward for earlier response forms as learning progresses.

Auto-shaping

Pavlovian learning engages built-in behavioral mechanisms related to the US that can be sculpted by reinforcement; Pavlovian sign tracking responses could direct attention and US-appropriate responses to parts of the environment passively associated with an outcome.

Primary Reinforcer

An inherently reinforcing stimulus or event that is not created by learning (e.g., food, water, warmth); generally an appetitive US.

Secondary Reinforcer

A stimulus or event that is reinforcing by virtue of a Pavlovian association with a primary reinforcer (e.g., money, grades, reward points).

Conditioned Reinforcement

A first-order predictor of reward acts as a conditioned reinforcer.