Cond. & Learning: Exam 4 Study Guide

Three term contingency

Process where person or animal learns that a behavior, in the presence of a stimulus, can have an effect on the environment (ABC)

ABC's of Contingency

A- Antecedent aka the discriminative stimulus S^D=A
B- Behavior, what occurs to allow reinforcement
C- Consequence aka the reinforcer, be it positive or negative

ILEx: When the researcher says "sit," a dog sits and gains a treat, name the ABC's

A- Verbal cue from researcher, "sit"
B- The dog's behavior is sitting
C- Reinforced positively with treat

OoLEx: When a child throws a tantrum, the parent gives the child an ipad.

A- Behavioral cue from child, the tantrum
B- Parent's behavior is giving the ipad
C- Child's tantrum behavior is reinforced positively with ipad AND Parent's leniency behavior is reinforced negatively with removal of the tantrum

Positive Reinforcement

Gaining a desired stimulus, reward, or desired situation

Negative Reinforcement

Removal of an undesired stimulus or undesired situation (the removal of the bad thing is reinforcing because it connects the behavior to the removal)

ILEx: A pigeon is in a chamber with a very bright light overhead. When the pigeon pecks a button, the light dims to a more bearable/comfortable brightness.

This is Negative Reinforcement. The pigeon can remove the undesired stimulus(The light) in their environment by pecking the button (target behavior).

OoLEx: You have a headache and decide to take medicine to alleviate it.

This is both Negative Reinforcement. You can remove the negative stimulus (the headache) by engaging in the medicine (Your behavior).

OoLEx: Your mom says you can have cake after you finish all of your dinner (including the vegetables).

This is Positive Reinforcement. You gain a positive/desired stimulus by eating your vegetables at dinner (target behavior).

Conditioned Reinforcer

Previously a neutral stimulus that took on the attributes of the primary reinforcer, so the NS is seen the same as the PR

EX) Money, Reading Pizza Hut Passes

Primary Reinforcer

Stimulus that is inherently reinforcing, doesn't have to be taught to be desired

EX) Food, water, sleep, touch

Natural Reinforcement

Reinforcing consequences that cannot be separated from the behavior

Contrived Reinforcement

Arranged reinforcement by outside party to encourage the behavior

Concurrent Schedule

Participants have a choice of stimuli to respond to, with one, two, or more simple reinforcement schedules to reply to when available. Allows for the measurement of choice between simple schedules.

Fixed Ratio Schedule

A behavior is reinforced when it has occurred a fixed number of times.

Fixed Time Schedule

A reinforcer is delivered after a fixed period of time passes, regardless of what behavior occurs (a free-be)

Variable Time Schedule

A reinforcer is delivered periodically at irregular time intervals, regardless of what behavior occurs (a free-be)

Variable Interval Schedule

The length of the interval during which performing the target behavior is not reinforced varies around some average time

Extinction Bursts

Occurs when there is an increase in the frequency or intensity of the unwanted behavior when the extinction method is being used. Usually due to confusion of past procedures in a context compared to the extinction trial.

Reconditioning

The repairing of the connection between the behavior and the consequence after extinction has taken place with a reinforcer.

Spontaneous Recovery

The reemergence of a specific behavior to an extinguished conditioned stimulus with the passage of time since extinction.

EIRV stands for __

Extinction Induced Response Variability

EIRV

Trying many different ways to get the reinforcer but no successful outcome. Important because of response variety and new learning.

Resurgence

The reappearance of previously reinforced behavior.