PSYCH 311

What is an appetitive stimulus?

A pleasant or satisfying stimulus that can be used to positively reinforce instrumental response.

What is an aversive stimulus?

An unpleasant or annoying stimulus

What does positive reinforcement entail?

A preferred or appetitive stimulus is provided as a result of target behavior, increasing the future probability of that behavior.

What is negative reinforcement?

An aversive stimulus is removed following a target behavior, increasing the future probability of that behavior.

What is positive punishment?

An aversive stimulus is added as a result of the target behavior, decreasing the future probability of that behavior.

What is negative punishment?

An instrumental conditioning procedure in which the behavior prevents the delivery of a reinforcing stimulus, decreasing the future probability of that behavior.

Define escape behavior in operant conditioning.

Behavior that leads to the termination of an aversive stimulus.

Define avoidance behavior in operant conditioning.

Behavior that leads to the avoidance of an aversive stimulus.

What is behavioral contrast?

A change in the value of a reinforcer produced by prior experiences with a reinforcer of high or lower value.

What is the law of effect?

If a response is followed by a satisfying event, the association between the stimulus and the response becomes strengthened.

What is the Premack principle?

The principle stating that a high-probability behavior can reinforce a low-probability behavior when performed after it.

What is meant by stimulus control in behavioral psychology?

The degree to which a specific stimulus influences the likelihood of a behavioral response.

What is the difference between stimulus discrimination and stimulus generalization?

Stimulus discrimination is differential responding to two or more stimuli, while stimulus generalization is responding similarly to different stimuli that are similar to the original.

What is spontaneous recovery?

The reappearance of an extinguished behavior after a rest period without further conditioning.

What is renewal in the context of extinction?

The reappearance of an extinguished response when returning to the original context of learning.

What are the main effects of extinction?

Gradual decrease in the frequency of previously reinforced behavior and increased variability in responding.

What is the difference between extinction and forgetting?

Extinction is the weakening of a behavior due to the absence of reinforcement, while forgetting is the loss of a learned response due to the passage of time.

What role does the magnitude of a reinforcer play in instrumental conditioning?

The size and quality of the reinforcer influence the rate of operant responding.

What is reinforcement schedule?

A program or rule that determines how and when the occurrence of a response will be followed by the delivery of the reinforcer.

What is a fixed interval schedule?

A reinforcement schedule where the first response is rewarded after a specified amount of time has elapsed.

What is an extinction burst?

An increase in the frequency of responding when an extinction procedure is initially implemented before the behavior begins to decrease.