Reinforcement, Reinforcers, and Preference Assessments (Video)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to reinforcement, reinforcers, and preference assessments from the video lecture.

Positive Reinforcement

A consequence that adds a desirable stimulus after a behavior, increasing the likelihood that the behavior will occur again.

Negative Reinforcement

A consequence that removes an aversive stimulus after a behavior, increasing the likelihood that the behavior will occur again.

Reinforcer

A stimulus or event added or removed after a behavior that increases the future probability of that behavior.

Primary Reinforcer (Unconditioned Reinforcer)

Biologically driven reinforcers needed for survival (e.g., warmth, food, water, air, movement) that do not require learning to be valued.

Secondary Reinforcer (Conditioned Reinforcer)

Reinforcers that gain value through pairing with primary reinforcers (e.g., money, praise, grades, stickers).

Pairing

A process by which a neutral stimulus becomes a reinforcer after being paired with a primary reinforcer or another powerful stimulus.

Satiation

A state in which a reinforcer loses effectiveness due to overexposure, reducing motivation for that reinforcer.

Preference Assessment

Systematic methods to identify what a client prefers to work for, guiding reinforcer selection.

Reinforcer Inventory

A broad list of potential reinforcers or client preferences used to identify possible reinforcers.

Free Operant Preference Assessment

Client has free access to several reinforcers for a set time; time spent with each item is recorded to rank preferences.

Forced Choice (Paired Choice)

Presenting two or more items and having the client choose, used to identify most preferred items.

Multiple Stimulus With Replacement (MSW-R)

Three or more items are presented; client chooses one and may replay that item in subsequent trials.

Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement (MSW-O/R)

Three or more items are presented; client chooses one and that item is removed in subsequent trials.

Continuous Reinforcement

Reinforcement is delivered after every appearance of the target behavior.

Intermittent Reinforcement

Reinforcement is delivered non-continuously, after some occurrences or over some time.

Fixed Ratio

Reinforcer delivered after a set number of responses (e.g., after every 5th hand raise).

Variable Ratio

Reinforcer delivered after an average number of responses, with the exact number varying.

Fixed Interval

Reinforcer delivered after the first response following a fixed time interval (e.g., after 5 minutes).

Variable Interval

Reinforcer delivered after the first response following a variable time interval.

Thick Schedule of Reinforcement

A very dense reinforcement schedule, often continuous reinforcement, used when teaching new behaviors.

Motivating Operations (MO)

States of deprivation or satiation that alter the value of reinforcers and motivation to engage in a behavior.

Attention (Reinforcer)

Social reinforcement; attention from others can function as a reinforcer to increase a behavior.

Praise (Reinforcer)

Verbal approval used as a reinforcer to increase a behavior.

Immediacy

Reinforcers should be delivered immediately after the behavior to maximize effectiveness.