Study Guide 2

Law of Effect

The strength of a behavior depends on its consequences.

Operant Learning

Any procedure in which a behavior becomes stronger or weaker depending on its consequences; also called instrumental learning.

Reinforcement

An increase in the strength of a behavior due to its consequences.

Positive Reinforcement

A reinforcement procedure in which a behavior is followed by the presentation of, or an increase in the intensity of, a stimulus.

Positive Reinforcer

Any stimulus which, when presented following a behavior, increases or maintains the strength of that behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

A reinforcement procedure in which a behavior is followed by the removal of, or a decrease in the intensity of, a stimulus.

Negative Reinforcer

Any stimulus which, when removed following a behavior, increases or maintains the strength of that behavior.

Primary Reinforcer

Any reinforcer that is innately reinforcing and not dependent on its association with other reinforcers.

Secondary Reinforcer

Any reinforcer that has acquired its reinforcing properties through its association with other reinforcers.

Generalized Reinforcer

Any secondary reinforcer that has been paired with several different reinforcers and is effective in a wide variety of situations.

Natural Reinforcer

Any reinforcer that is the spontaneous consequence of a behavior.

Contrived Reinforcer

Any reinforcer that is provided by someone or some system for the purpose of changing behavior.

Contingency

The likelihood that a reinforcer will follow a behavior.

Motivating Operation

Anything that changes the effectiveness of a consequence.

Establishing Operation

A motivating operation that increases the effectiveness of a consequence.

Abolishing Operation

A motivating operation that decreases the effectiveness of a consequence.

Drives

A motivational state caused by a period of deprivation.

Drive-Reduction Theory

The theory that attributes a reinforcer’s effectiveness to the reduction of a drive.

Theory of Reinforcement

Considers reinforcers to be behaviors rather than stimuli.

Premack Principle

The observation that high-probability behavior reinforces low-probability behavior.

Equilibrium Theory

The theory that says a behavior is reinforcing to the extent that the organism has been deprived of performing that behavior.

Two-Process Theory

The view that avoidance and punishment involve both Pavlovian and operant learning.

Sidman Avoidance Procedure

An escape-avoidance training procedure in which no stimulus regularly precedes the aversive stimulus.

One-Process Theory

The view that avoidance and punishment involve only operant learning.

Shaping

The reinforcement of successive approximations of a desired behavior.

Behavior Chain

A series of related behaviors, the last of which produces reinforcement.

Task Analysis

The procedure of identifying the component elements of a behavior chain.

Forward Chaining

A chaining procedure in which training begins with the first link in the chain.

Backward Chaining

A chaining procedure in which training begins with the last link in the chain.

Learned Helplessness

The tendency to give up on a problem as a result of previous exposure to insoluble problems.

Learned Industriousness

The tendency to persist at a problem as a result of previous reinforcement of persistence.

Schedules of Reinforcement

A rule describing the delivery of reinforcers for a behavior.

Continuous Reinforcement

A reinforcement schedule in which a behavior is reinforced each time it occurs.

Intermittent Reinforcement

Any reinforcement schedule in which a behavior is sometimes reinforced.

Fixed Ratio Schedule

A reinforcement schedule in which every nth performance of a behavior is reinforced.

Post-Reinforcement Pause

A pause in responding following reinforcement; associated with FI and FR schedules.

Run-Rate

The rate at which a behavior occurs once it has resumed following reinforcement.

Variable Ratio Schedule

A reinforcement schedule in which, on average, every nth performance of a behavior is reinforced.

Fixed Interval Schedule

A reinforcement schedule in which a behavior is reinforced the first time it occurs following a specified interval.