PSYC 310 Exam 3 Study Guide: Escape, Avoidance, Matching Law, and Applied Behavior Analysis

Vocabulary practice cards defining core principles of avoidance, punishment, matching law, self-control, and applied behavior analysis based on Chapters 9–10 and ABA Days 1–3.

Positive

The addition of a stimulus following a behavior.

Negative

The removal of a stimulus following a behavior.

Reinforcement

A consequence that increases the future likelihood of a behavior.

Punishment

A consequence that decreases the future likelihood of a behavior.

Escape

A negative reinforcement process that stops an aversive stimulus that is already happening.

Avoidance

A negative reinforcement process that prevents an aversive stimulus before it begins.

Two-process theory

An avoidance theory positing that classical conditioning creates fear and operant conditioning reinforces avoidance behavior through fear reduction.

One-process theory

An avoidance theory asserting that avoidance is maintained through operant conditioning alone.

Conditioned Suppression Theory

A punishment theory suggesting that fear or emotional reactions suppress the occurrence of behavior.

Avoidance Theory (Punishment)

A theory of punishment stating that engaging in an alternative behavior prevents the delivery of punishment.

Premack Principle

The principle that a high-probability behavior can reinforce or punish a low-probability behavior, depending on the contingency.

Learned helplessness

A condition in which exposure to uncontrollable aversive events interferes with later escape learning, even when escape becomes possible.

Matching Law

The principle stating that behavior allocation matches the proportion of reinforcement received, expressed by the formula $\frac{R_A}{R_A+R_B}=\frac{SR_A}{SR_A+SR_B}$.

Undermatching

A deviation from the matching law where responding is less extreme than reinforcement ratios predict, resulting in too evenly distributed responding.

Overmatching

A deviation from the matching law where responding is more extreme than predicted, resulting in too much responding toward the better option.

Bias (Matching Law)

A preference for one response option over another that is unrelated to the rates of reinforcement.

COD (Changeover Delay)

A delay imposed after switching between response options before reinforcement becomes available.

SSR

Smaller-sooner reward.

LLR

Larger-later reward.

Temporal discounting

The tendency of future rewards to lose subjective value as the delay to receiving them increases.

Preference reversal

A shift in choice wherein an individual initially prefers a larger-later reward (LLR) but switches preference to a smaller-sooner reward (SSR) as the SSR becomes imminent.

Commitment device

An action or arrangement that restricts future choices in order to prevent giving in to temptation.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

A scientific approach to understanding and changing behavior through the application of environmental and learning principles.

Antecedent (A)

An environmental event or stimulus that occurs immediately before a behavior occurs.

Behavior (B)

An observable and measurable response made by an organism.

Consequence (C)

An environmental event that occurs immediately following a behavior.

Functional assessment

The use of indirect and direct methods, such as interviews, questionnaires, and observations, to develop hypotheses regarding the maintaining variables of a behavior.

Functional analysis

An experimental procedure that systematically tests environmental conditions to identify what consequence maintains a target behavior.

Attention Function

A behavioral function in which a target behavior produces attention from others.

Escape Function

A behavioral function in which a target behavior results in the removal of a task or demand.

Tangible Function

A behavioral function in which a target behavior results in access to a preferred item or activity.

Automatic Function

A behavioral function where the behavior produces intrinsic sensory consequences independent of the social environment.

Attention Condition

A functional analysis condition where social attention is delivered contingent on the target behavior.

Demand Condition

A functional analysis condition where a break or escape from task demands is delivered contingent on the target behavior.

Tangible Condition

A functional analysis condition where access to an item or activity is provided contingent on the target behavior.

Alone Condition

A functional analysis condition in which the individual is placed in a low-stimulation setting without social interaction to test for automatic reinforcement.

Toy Play/Control Condition

A functional analysis control condition where reinforcement, attention, and preferred items are freely available without demands.

DRA

Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior; a procedure that reinforces an alternative, appropriate behavior while placing problem behavior on extinction.

DRI

Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior; a procedure that reinforces a behavior that cannot physically occur at the same time as the target behavior.

DRO

Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior; a procedure that reinforces the complete absence of the target behavior across a specified interval.

FCT

Functional Communication Training; a procedure that teaches an appropriate communicative response that serves the exact same function as the target behavior.

Extinction

A behavioral procedure involving withholding the maintaining reinforcer following the occurrence of the target behavior.

Generalization

The occurrence of a learned behavior in new settings, across novel stimuli, or in the presence of different people.

Maintenance

The continued performance of a target behavior over time after an intervention has ended or been thinned.