Week 9 Concepts Learning Objectives

Identify the three elements of a schedule of reinforcement

• response

• contingency

• reinforcer

Schedules of reinforcement

A rule stating how and when discriminative stimuli and behavioral consequences will be presented. Stable until extinction.

What explanation would a behavior analyst give for behavior that is often attributed to motivation, habit, and personality traits?

• habits or personality traits are said to be response dispositions that are activated automatically by context cues that co-occurred with responses during past performance

• one might say habits or traits are patterns of steady-state responding

Explain the observed response patterns when every response on a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement is shocked.

The reinforcer and behavior stay the same. When the reinforcement is shocked, the pause length in a period on the graph increases

What happens when the schedule is changed to a fixed-time schedule of reinforcement?

The schedule/set behavior remains the same as before when no shocks were provided. The rate of response decreases

Compare and contract intermittent and continuous schedules of reinforcement.

In CRF, every response is reinforced. In intermittent reinforcement, some of the responses are reinforced. Intermittent is less predictive of when reinforcement is given.

Ratio schedules

schedules of reinforcement based on the number of emitted responses

Interval schedules refer to schedules of ______based on ____ since the ____ ______ occurred

Reinforcement, time, last consequence

Post-reinforcement pause is ___ in __. The time after reinforcement before the organism names the _ ____

Inherent, FR, before, next response

Why does evolution and biology fall short in the explanation of patterns of behavior

Labeling behavior as instinctive does not explain behavior as the distribution of reinforcement is the schedule that maintain an animal’s foraging behavior. Simulates natural contingencies operating in the wild

What is a conjugate reinforcement schedule

A type of CRF schedule where properties of reinforcement (rate, amplitude etc.) are tied to particular dimensions of the response

What are the two characteristics of CRF

Resistance to extinction

Response stereotypy

Resistance to extinction is a measure of

-              How many responses occur after extinction is begun

-              CRF produces less extinction-resistant behavior – quickly extinguished

Resistance to extinction for intermittent reinforcement produces what?

More extinction-resistant behavior

Response stereotypy on CRF results in:

• The level of variability of responses decreases

• organisms tend to make near-identical topographical responses

• Variability increases as reinforcement decreases

fixed ratio is a schedule that delivers:

reinforcement after fixed number of responses

variable ratio is a schedule in which the:

number of responses required for reinforcement changes after each reinforcer is presented

fixed interval refers to:

reinforcement delivery for the first responses after a set amount of time has passed since the last reinforcer was delivered

variable interval is the

first response after a variable amount of time has passed is reinforced

what factors determine the length of the PRP on FR schedule

• # of responses required ‘

• as the requirement increases within the ratio, the pauses become longer

• the size of the upcoming reinforcer (CR)

identify 3 reasons discussed in the text for why human adults don’t typically produce the FI “scallop” pattern

• humans with verbal language generate verbal rule and behave accordingly

• humans find it easy to follow self-instruction or rule and effortful to reject it

• Previous experience with ratio-type schedules

Describe what a limited-hold contingency entails

• When a reinforcer is available for a set time after a variable interval

• Added to a VI schedule increases the rate of responding by reinforcing short IRTs

Ex: carpool pick up line, only waits for so long

progressive-ratio schedule is a schedule where the ____ requirement for ____ ____ after ___ earned reinforcer

ratio, reinforcement, increases, each

Ex: lever pressing to 5, next interval requirement would be 10 before reinforcement

What does arithmetic and geometric mean? Is it used in a progressive-ratio schedule?

Yes. Arithmetic is adding. Geometric is multiplying

Breaking point refers to the

Highest ratio value completed on the PR schedule before behavior deteriorates

How might a researcher use a progressive ratio schedule to explore the reinforcement efficacy of a particular drug?

• Used to measure the breaking point and reinforcement efficacy

• Used to assess drug preferences and abuse potential

Transition state is the irregular:

response patterns observed when an organism is first placed after a schedule of reinforcement

Steady state

the predictable and steady patterns observed after an organism has experience with a schedule of reinforcement

Steady-state performance refers to the _____ of responses that develops after _____ ____  to a contingency

pattern, repeated exposure

Ratio strain refers to______  _____  _____ after the delivery of a reinforcer that occur if the ratio requirement is ____ ____ ___

• increasing longer pauses after, increased too rapidly

Interreinforcement interval (IRI): the time between the____ __ _ ____. The pause in the ___ gets ____ the longer the IRI is

delivery of reinforcer, PRP, longer IRI

How are mulitple and mixed schedules similar and how are they different?

• Similar in the time-based dimension and alternating between intermittent schedules.

• Different as multiple schedules has SD and mixed does not

Multiple schedule is a ____-____ schedule alternating between two or more basic ______ schedules. Specific ____ is associated with each basic schedule

Time-based, intermittent, SD

Mixed schedule is a ___-___ schedule alternates between two or more basic ______ schedules. ___ ____  stimulus

Time-based, intermittent, no specific

How are chained and tandem schedules similar

Similar by being response-based, produces onset of different component when meeting requirement, and restarting schedule when reinforcement occurs

how are multiple and tandem schedule in different?

Different as SD is associated with chained and no stimulus is associated with tandem

Chained schedule is a _____-_____ schedule involving two or more _____schedules that are presented ___ with each schedule associated with __

Response-based, reinforcement sequentially, SD

Tandem schedule is a ____-____ schedule involving two or more ____ schedules occur in a specific ___ presented _____ without ___

Response-based, reinforcement, order, sequentially, SD