Fundamentals ABA MHS 3204 Exam 2

What is the definition of reinforcement?

1) occurrence of a behavior

2) followed by an immediate consequence

3) results in the strengthening of the behavior

What was the reinforcer for Thorndike's cat?

food

What behavior resulted in the reinforcer for Thorndike's cat?

hitting lever

What effect did reinforcement have on the cat's behavior?

cat hit the lever immediately in the future

What does it mean to say that a behavior strengthened?

it was reinforced; is more likely to occur in the future

What is an operant behavior?

a behavior that is strengthened through the process of reinforcement; acts on the environment to produce a consequence and is controlled by (or occurs again in the future as a result of) it's immediate consequence

Define positive reinforcement.

1) the occurrence of a behavior

2) is followed immediately by the addition of a stimulus (reinforcer)

3) which results in the strengthening of the behavior

Define negative reinforcement.

1) the occurrence of a behavior

2) is followed immediately by the removal of a stimulus (aversive stimulus)

3) which results in the strengthening of the behavior

How is negative reinforcement different from punishment?

Negative reinforcement increases or strengthens a behavior while punishment decreases or weakens a behavior

What is an aversive stimulus?

something painful or annoying that a person will try to get away from or avoid

What is an unconditioned reinforcer?

natural reinforcers that function as reinforcers the first time they are presented

What is a conditioned reinforcer?

a stimulus that was once neutral but became established as a reinforcer by being paired with an unconditioned reinforcer or an already established conditioned reinforcer

Identify the five factors that influence the effectiveness of reinforcement.

immediacy

contingency

motivating operations

individual differences

magnitude

What is meant by contiguity between a response and a reinforcer?

it is the connection between the response and the reinforcer

How does contiguity influence the effectiveness of reinforcement?

if there is no contiguity, the consequence will not have an effect on the behavior

What is a reinforcement contingency?

when the response produces the consequence and the consequence does not occur unless the response occurs first

How does a contingency influence the effectiveness of reinforcement?

when a contingency exists, the consequence is more likely to reinforce the response

What is an establishing operation?

makes a reinforcer more potent (establishes the effectiveness of a reinforcer)

What is an abolishing operation?

makes a reinforcer less potent (decreases/abolishes the effectiveness of a reinforcer)

Distinguish between intermittent and continuous schedules of reinforcement.

In an intermittent reinforcement schedule, each occurrence of the response is not reinforced.

In a continuous reinforcement schedule, each occurrence of a response is reinforced.

What is a fixed ratio schedule?

a specific (fixed) number of responses must occur before the reinforcer is delivered

What is a variable ratio schedule?

a reinforcer is delivered after an average of x responses

What is a fixed interval schedule?

a reinforcer is delivered after a fixed amount of time

What is a variable interval schedule?

the reinforcer is delivered after an average of x time

Are interval or ratio schedules more likely to be used in teaching and training programs?

ratio schedules because more frequent responding results in more frequent reinforcement

What are concurrent schedules of reinforcement?

all of the schedules of reinforcement that are in effect for a person's behaviors at one time

What is the behavioral definition of extinction?

1. a behavior that has been previously reinforced

2. no longer results in the reinforcing consequence

3. and, therefore, the behavior stops occurring in the future

What is an extinction burst?

an increase in frequency, duration, or intensity of the unreinforced behavior during the extinction process

Explain the extinction of a negatively reinforced behavior.

involves eliminating the escape or avoidance that was reinforcing the behavior (no longer removing the aversive stimulus)

Explain the extincting of a positively reinforced behavior.

the positive reinforcer is no longer delivered after the behavior

Extinction is not the same thing as ignoring. Explain this statement.

extinction means removing the reinforcer for behavior. Ignoring the problem behavior functions as extinction only if attention is the reinforcer.

Explain how the reinforcement schedule for a behavior (continuous or intermittent) influences extinction of the behavior.

when a behavior is continuously reinforced, it decreases rapidly when the reinforcement is terminated. When a behavior is intermittently reinforced, it often decreases more gradually once the reinforcement is terminated.

What happens to a behavior when it is accidentally reinforced during the extinction process?

it will take longer for the behavior to decrease because the behavior will be more resistant to extinction.

What is spontaneous recovery during extinction?

the natural tendency for the behavior to occur again in situations that are similar to those in which it occurred and was reinforced before extinction

Define punishment.

1. a particular behavior occurs

2. a consequence immediately follows the behavior

3. the behavior is less likely to occur again in the future

Define positive punishment.

1. the occurrence of a behavior

2. is followed by the presentation of an aversive stimulus

3. and as a result, the behavior is less likely to occur in the future

Define negative punishment.

1. the occurrence of a behavior

2. is followed by the removal of a reinforcing stimulus

3. and as a result, the behavior is less likely to occur in the future

What is an unconditioned punisher?

events or stimuli that are naturally punishing because avoiding or minimizing contact with those stimuli has survival value

What is a conditioned punisher?

stimuli or events that function as punishers only after being paired with unconditioned punishers or other existing conditioned punishers