Upgrade to remove ads
Only $35.99/year

Learning Exam 3

Terms in this set (48)

Operant conditioning definition
a procedure in which a behavior becomes stronger or weaker (is more or less likely to happen) depending on its consequences
- behavior operates on the environment to produce a consequence
Example of operant conditioning
- A rat presses a lever and receives a food pellet. The rat is more likely to press the lever in the future.
- You tell your roommate a joke, and he frowns at you. Your future probability of telling that joke decreases.
- Each behavior is an operant (lever pressing, joke telling) that leads to a consequence. The consequence then affects the future probability of the behavior.
What animals did thorndike mainly study?
chickens
- chicks in a maze to find food
cats
- puzzle box
Puzzle box experiment
Thorndike put cats in a box where they had to find their way out (pulling a loop or stepping on a treadle)
- squeezed clawed and bit any opening
- cats accidentally did what they were supposed to to get out
- eventually cats got quicker at escaping
behavior typically has one of two consequences - a "satisfying state of affairs," or "an annoying state of affairs
law of effect
- trial and error learning
3 assumptions Skinner made about behavior
- animals continually emitting behavior
- behaviors have consequences that influence the future frequency of the behavior
- effects of consequences are influenced by an animal's motivational state, physical environment, and social environment
Project Pigeo
skinner tried to design a missile that would be guided toward a target by trained pigeons
- ideas not taken seriously, only some success training pigeons
Discrete trial procedure definition
a procedure where the behavior of the participant ends the trial
Free operant procedure definition
a procedure where the behavior of the participant can be repeated many times
Positive punishment definition
behavior is weakened when it is followed by the appearance of (or an increase in the intensity of) a stimulus, or positive punisher
Negative punishment definition
behavior is weakened when it is followed by the removal of (or a decrease in the intensity of) a stimulus, or negative punisher.
- omission training
1. Stimulus is presented and increases strength of behavior
2. Stimulus is presented and decreases strength of behavior
3. Stimulus is removed and increases strength of behavior
4. Stimulus is removed and decreases strength of behavior
1. positive reinforcement
2. positive punishment
3. negative reinforcement
4. negative punishment
Establishing operations definition
a procedure that produces a change in an individual's environment that alters how effectively something functions as a reinforcer
- pigeons mate for life and return home more urgently if another male is seen with his mate
Secondary reinforcers definition
stimuli that are reinforcing because of their association with other reinforcers (including other secondary reinforcers). These include praise, recognition, smiles, money etc.
- weaker than primary reinforcers
Shaping definition
reinforcing successive approximations of the target behavior
Otters shaping young to catch prey
- first bring pups dead prey
- then dying prey
- then injured prey
- then uninjured prey
- pups become increasingly better at killing and eating prey
Chaining definition
training an animal or person to perform a chain of behaviors (though once a chain is established, it can be thought of as one act or unit of behavior).
Forward chaining definition
Backward chaining definition
forward: the first task is reinforced until it is performed reliably

backward: the last element is trained first, then the second to last etc
Is immediate or delayed reinforcement more effective on behavior?
immediate
ESB Rat experiment - push lever to activate reward pathways in the brain... OUTCOME
Press the lever nonstop until they pass out, don't eat drink or groom, just press the lever and sleep until they die
- similar to the behavior of drug addicts
Dopamine is a precursor of what neurotransmitter?
Epinephrine (adrenaline) - provides a "rush" when released
- people engage in dangerous activities to get an adrenaline high
Extinction definition in operant conditioning
weakening in the conditioned behavior once the consequence of the behavior is removed
Extinction burst definition
an abrupt increase in the behavior when the consequence is removed
- extinction used to treat a behavioral problem - seems like behavior gets worse at first due to this
Extinction - when parents stop giving in to child's tantrums
At first, the tantrums will become more severe (extinction burst), but there will be a steady decline in the behavior as long as parents don't give in (i.e. they continue with extinction).
Resurgence definition
a response is put on extinction, a previously reinforced response reappears
- teach how to peck a disc and extinguish behavior then teach bird to flap wings and extinguish behavior then disk pecking behavior reappears
Extinction can be facilitated by both extinguishing the target behavior and simultaneously reinforcing a different behavior
Differential Reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO) involves reinforcing any behavior other than the target behavior that is being extinguished
Differential Reinforcement of incompatible behaviors (DRI) definition
involves reinforcing any behavior that is specifically incompatible with the target behavior that is being extinguished
What are the two primary differences between the Relative Value Theory and Response Deprivation Theory?
- relative value looks at how likely one behavior is compared to another
- response deprivation looks at the behavior relative to its own baseline
Behavioral Bliss Point Theory definition
organisms will distribute behavior in such a way as to maximize overall reinforcement
- rat is free to run and explore so it runs for 1 hour and explores for 2
Fixed ratio schedule definition
a behavior is reinforced after it has occurred a fixed number of times
Variable ratio schedule definition
reinforcement is given when a behavior has occurred around some average number of times
Fixed interval schedule definition
the behavior is reinforced the first time it occurs after a fixed interval of time has elapsed
Variable interval schedule definition
the interval after which responding becomes effective varies around some average amount
__ __ schedule has the highest responding and greatest resistance to extinction.
Variable ratio
Fixed duration schedule definition
reinforcement is given after the continuous performance of a behavior for a particular amount of time
Variable duration schedule definition
reinforcement is given after an average amount of time a behavior is continually performed
Differential reinforcement of low rates of a behavior (DRL) definition
schedule is when reinforcement occurs only after a specified period of time has elapsed since the last behavior
Differential reinforcement of high rates of a behavior (DRH) definition
schedule is when reinforcement occurs only if the individual engages in a behavior so many times in a given period
Fixed time (FT) schedule definition
reinforcer is delivered after a given period of time, regardless of behavior
Variable time (VT) schedule definition
reinforcer is delivered after an average period of time, regardless of behavior
Superstitions of athletes or gamblers might also be due to __ __
noncontingent reinforcement
The matching law definition
states that the proportion of responses emitted on a particular reinforcement schedule matches the proportion of reinforcers obtained on that schedule
Intrinsic punishment definition
punishment that is an inherent aspect of the behavior itself
Extrinsic punishment definition
punishment that is provided by a consequence that is external to the behavior
Primary punishers definition
punishers that we naturally dislike, that don't have to be learned
Secondary punishers definition
punishers that have become punishers because of their association with another punisher
__ punishment induces the best performance
medium
Apathy definition
or a general disinterest and decrease of behavior, can appear when punishment is common
Students also viewed