Instrumental Conditioning: Reinforcement, Shaping, and Response Variability in Animal and Human Learning

What is instrumental conditioning?

A learning process where an animal learns to associate a response with an outcome.

What is the method of successive approximations in shaping behavior?

Reinforcing responses that gradually get closer to the desired behavior.

What is the first step in training an animal to press a lever?

Conduct magazine training to establish an association between the sound of a food-delivery device and food delivery.

What are the three key elements of instrumental conditioning?

A response, an outcome (reinforcement), and a response-outcome contingency.

What is an appetitive stimulus?

A stimulus that an animal will work to receive, such as food or water.

What is an aversive stimulus?

A stimulus that an animal will work to avoid, such as shock or loud noise.

How does positive reinforcement affect behavior?

It increases the likelihood of a behavior by providing a desirable outcome.

What is the effect of punishment on behavior?

It decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring.

What does negative reinforcement involve?

Preventing an aversive outcome to increase the likelihood of a behavior.

What is differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO)?

A procedure where other behaviors are reinforced to reduce a target undesired behavior.

What happens to response variability as instrumental conditioning progresses?

The operant response becomes more stereotyped or fixed.

How can animals learn to display more variable behaviors?

By making response variability an explicit requirement of the task.

What was the task given to pigeons to encourage response variability?

Pigeons had to make 8 key pecks in a unique left-right pattern that differed from the previous 50 trials.

What was the outcome for participants in the 'Vary' group during the rectangle drawing task?

They were rewarded for drawing rectangles that differed in size, shape, or location from previous trials.

What is the role of reinforcement in increasing response variability?

Reinforcement encourages participants to vary their responses to achieve more rewards.

What is the purpose of magazine training in instrumental conditioning?

To establish an association between a stimulus and the delivery of food.

What is the significance of the response-outcome contingency?

It determines whether the response produces or prevents an outcome.

What is the relationship between reinforcement and the likelihood of a response?

Reinforcement increases the probability of the response occurring.

What does omission training aim to achieve?

To reduce undesired behaviors by reinforcing alternative behaviors.

How does the response rate change with the application of DRO?

The response rate of undesired behavior decreases as alternative behaviors are reinforced.

What is the impact of training on the stereotypy of responses?

Training can lead to more fixed responses, but variability can still be encouraged.

What was the result of the study by Page and Neuringer (1985) on response variability?

Animals can learn to display more variable behaviors when required by the task.