PSYC 2600 Final

Discriminative Stimulus

The antecedent stimulus that has stimulus control over behavior because the behavior was reliably reinforced in the presence of that stimulus in the past.

Spontaneous Recovery

The unexpected and quick return of a behavior that was believed to be extinct after a period of rest or lessened response.

Negative Contrast Effect

When something is perceived as worse than usual because it is compared to something better.

Positive Contrast Effect

When something is perceived as better than usual because it is compared to something worse.

Resurgence

The reappearance of an extinguished behavior when an alternative behavior reinforced during extinction is subsequently placed on extinction.

Extinction

The gradual weakening of a conditioned response that results in the behavior decreasing or disappearing.

Intermittent Schedule of Reinforcement

A contingency of reinforcement in which some, but not all, occurrences of the behavior produce reinforcement.

Deprivation

The reduced fulfillment of a desire or need that is felt to be essential.

Resistance

Situations in which one or more individuals reject any engagement in a learning possibility.

Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviors (DRO)

A reinforcement procedure in which reinforcement is delivered for any response other than a specific target behavior.

Reinforcement

Increasing a behavior to increase the likelihood of a behavioral response.

Punishment

Decreasing a behavior to decrease the likelihood of a behavioral response.

Stimulus

Anything that can trigger a physical or behavioral change.

Discriminative Stimulus (SD)

Signals that a reinforcer is available for a response.

Stimulus Delta (SΔ)

Signals that a reinforcer is NOT available for a response.

Generalization Gradient

The gradual decrease in the strength of a conditioned response as the similarity between the original stimulus and other stimuli increases.

Continuum

All cognitive, affective, and behavioral change throughout a lifetime as new experiences modify existing paradigms.

Peak Shift

Occurs when the highest rate of responding is not over the SD but is shifted in a direction away from the S∆.

Sequential Processing

The mental process of integrating and understanding stimuli in a particular, serial order.

Extinction Burst

A sudden increase in behavior when the reinforcement for an undesirable behavior has been removed.

Stimulus Control

Circumstances where a behavior is triggered by the existence or absence of a stimulus.

Multiple Schedule

A compound schedule in which two or more component schedules alternate based on the passage of time.

Chained Schedule

A compound schedule in which a sequence of two or more signalled basic schedules must be met successively for reinforcement.

Discrimination Training Procedure

A procedure in which new responses are taught by reinforcing responses in the presence of one stimulus condition but not in the presence of another to help the learner discriminate between concepts.

Abolishing Operation

A procedure that decreases the appetitiveness or aversiveness of a stimulus.

Anticipatory Contrast

The process whereby the rate of response varies inversely with an upcoming change in the rate of reinforcement.

Behavioural Contrast

A change in the rate of reinforcement on one component of a multiple schedule produces an opposite change in the rate of response on another component.

Errorless Discrimination Training

A discrimination training procedure that minimizes errors and adverse effects associated with discrimination training.

Fading

The process of gradually altering the intensity of a stimulus.

Partial Reinforcement Effect

Behavior maintained on an intermittent schedule of reinforcement extinguishes more slowly than behavior maintained on a continuous schedule.

Avoidance Theory of Punishment

The theory that punishment involves avoidance conditioning in which the avoidance response consists of any behavior other than the behavior being punished.

Conditioned Suppression Theory of Punishment

The theory that punishment produces an emotional response that interferes with the occurrence of the behavior.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

A method of treating obsessive-compulsive behavior that involves prolonged exposure to anxiety-arousing events while not engaging in the compulsive behavior pattern.

Extrinsic Punishment

Punishment that is the result of a separate event that follows the behavior being punished.

Generalized Punisher

An event that has become punishing because it has been associated with many other punishers.

Intrinsic Punishment

Punishment that is an inherent aspect of the behavior being punished.

Learned Helplessness

A decrement in learning ability that results from repeated exposure to uncontrollable aversive events.

Premack Principle of Punishment

A low-probability behavior can be used to punish a high-probability behavior.

Primary Punisher

Any event that is innately punishing.

Response Cost

Negative punishment involving the removal of a specific reinforcer following the occurrence of a behavior.

Secondary Punisher: