KS

Schedules of Reinforcement and Related Concepts

Concept Review of Schedules of Reinforcement

Adjusting Schedule

  • A schedule that modifies the response requirement based on the organism's performance when responding for the previous reinforcer.

Behavioral Bliss Point Approach

  • Theory stating that an organism with access to alternatives will distribute behavior to maximize overall reinforcement.

Chained Schedule

  • A sequence of two or more simple schedules, each defined by its own discrimination stimulus (SD), with the last resulting in a terminal reinforcer.

Complex Schedule

  • A combination of two or more simple schedules.

Conjunctive Schedule

  • A complex schedule where the requirements of multiple simple schedules must be satisfied before reinforcement is delivered.

Types of Schedules of Reinforcement

Continuous Reinforcement Schedule

  • Every specified response is reinforced.

Differential Reinforcement of High Rates (DRH)

  • Reinforcement is contingent on emitting a minimum number of responses in a given time frame.

Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates (DRL)

  • Reinforcement is provided, allowing a minimum time between responses to be met, rewarding slow responses.

Differential Reinforcement of Paced Responding (DRP)

  • Reinforcement is contingent on responses being emitted at neither a fast nor slow rate.

Drive Reduction Theory

  • Explains that an event becomes reinforcing to the degree that it reduces a physiological drive.

Fixed Duration (FD) Schedule

  • Reinforcement contingent upon continuous behavior performance over a predictable timeframe.

Fixed Interval (FI) Schedule

  • Reinforces the first response after a fixed, predictable time interval.

Fixed Ratio (FR) Schedule

  • Reinforces after a set number of responses.

Fixed Time (FT) Schedule

  • Reinforces after a fixed time period, regardless of behavior.

Goal Gradient Effect

  • Increased strength/efficiency in motivation as one approaches the goal.

Intermittent (Partial) Reinforcement Schedule

  • Only some responses receive reinforcement.

Noncontingent Schedule of Reinforcement

  • Reinforcer delivered independently of responses.

Additional Concepts

Premack Principle

  • A high probability behavior can reinforce a low probability behavior.

Ratio Strain

  • Disruption in behavior due to excessive response requirements.

Response Deprivation Hypothesis

  • A behavior serves as a reinforcer when access is restricted and its occurrence falls below a preferred level.

Response-Rate Schedule

  • Reinforcement is directly based on the rate of responding.

Variable Duration (VD) Schedule

  • Reinforcement based on variable and unpredictable performance time.

Variable Interval (VI) Schedule

  • Reinforces the first response after an unpredictable time period.

Variable Ratio (VR) Schedule

  • Reinforces after a varying and unpredictable number of responses.

Variable Time (VT) Schedule

  • Reinforces after a variable and unpredictable time, independent of behavior.

Behavioral Control Concepts

Behavioral Contrast

  • A change in one part of a multiple schedule affects responses in other components.

Discrimination Training

  • Training that reinforces responses in the presence of a target stimulus (SD) and not others.

Errorless Discrimination Training

  • A training technique that reduces errors and their associated adverse effects.

Extinction

  • Nonreinforcement of a previously reinforced response that leads to a decrease in strength.

Extinction Burst

  • Temporary increase in response frequency when extinction begins.

Fading

  • Gradually altering the intensity of a stimulus.

Generalization Gradient

  • Measures strength of response in similarity to target stimulus.

Multiple Schedule

  • A setup consisting of two or more independent schedules presented sequentially.

Negative Contrast Effect

  • An increase in response on one component leads to a decrease on another.

Partial Reinforcement Effect

  • Intermittent reinforcement results in slower extinction than continuous reinforcement.

Peak Shift Effect

  • The generalization response peak shifts away from the SD after discrimination training.

Positive Contrast Effect

  • Decrease in one component's reinforcement leads to an increase in the other's response rate.

Resistance to Extinction

  • The persistence of responding after an extinction process is applied.

Resurgence

  • The re-emergence of previously reinforced behaviors during extinction.

Spontaneous Recovery

  • The return of an extinguished response post-extinction after a rest period.

Additional Concepts on Punishment and Avoidance

Avoidance Theory of Punishment

  • Suggests that punishment leads to avoidance behavior, as an individual seeks to escape or prevent the punitive experience.

Conditioned Suppression Theory of Punishment

  • Proposes that punishment suppresses behavior through the creation of fear, leading the individual to inhibit responses associated with the punishing stimulus.

Exposure and Response Prevention

  • A therapeutic technique focusing on exposing individuals to feared stimuli and preventing their response to it, reducing anxiety over time.

Extrinsic Punishment

  • Refers to punishment that is administered by an outside source, such as a parent or authority figure, affecting behavior through external consequences.

Generalized Punisher

  • A stimulus that becomes a punisher through association with others that are punishing, thus affecting a broader range of behaviors.

Intrinsic Punishment

  • Punishment that arises from the behavior itself, such as feeling guilty or ashamed after engaging in an undesirable action.

Learned Helplessness

  • A phenomenon where an individual learns to feel helpless in the face of repeated adverse situations, leading to a lack of effort to escape.

Premack Principle of Punishment

  • Suggests that engaging in a high-probability behavior can effectively punish a low-probability behavior when restricted.

Primary (Unconditioned) Punisher

  • A stimulus that naturally and inherently punishes an individual, not requiring prior learning, like pain or extreme temperatures.

Response Cost

  • The removal of a positive reinforcer following an undesired behavior, which decreases the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.

Secondary (Conditioned) Punisher

  • A stimulus that becomes punishing through association with primary punishers and requires prior learning to be effective.

Time-out

  • A disciplinary technique in which an individual is temporarily removed from a reinforcing environment, resulting in a decrease in behavior.

Two-Process Theory of Avoidance

  • Proposes that both classical and operant conditioning are involved in avoidance behavior, where fear of a stimulus (classical conditioning) leads to avoidance responses (operant conditioning).