Lecture 6

Question 1

What impacts the effectiveness of reinforcement?

Answer 1

1. drive
2. incentive value of S*
3. delay of reinforcement
4. stimulus control
5. schedule of reinforcement

Question 2

Who and what theory explained delay of reinforcement

Answer 2

Hull’s rG-SG mechanism

Question 3

Explain the rG-sG mechanism

Answer 3

• food (S*=SG) –> RG (RG=reactions in goal box)

- stimuli in the start and delay box come to elicit rG (rG = fractional anticipatory goal response)

Question 4

What does rG function to do?

Answer 4

• energizes behaviour

- rG –> sG (conditioned responses = salivation, excitement –> becomes stimulus indicating food)

Question 5

What does sG function to do?

Answer 5

• guides behaviour

- can also serve as conditioned reinforcers because of their contiguous association with SG (e.g. food)

Question 6

When these conditioned reinforcers are present, can there be a delay before delivery of the food?

Answer 6

Yes, because the box becomes a conditioned reinforcer

Question 7

Explain proprioceptive conditioned reinforcers

Answer 7

Kenneth spence
- when proprioceptive, as well as exteroceptive, conditioned reinforcers are eliminated, even a brief delay in the presentation of the reinforcer prevents learning

Question 8

Explain stimulus control

Answer 8

behaviour that has been reinforced in the present of one stimulus is controlled by the presence/absence of that stimulus
- responding often generalizes to other stimuli

Question 9

What is discrimination?

Answer 9

• unwanted behaviours
• strict stimulus control to predict/control behaviour
• narrow gradient
• E.g. respond to only red

Question 10

What is generalization?

Answer 10

• wanted behaviour
• performance all the time
• wide gradient
• E.g. respond to all colours

Question 11

When are responses given?

Answer 11

Continuous - after every response

Intermittent - not after every response

Question 12

How are responses measured?

Answer 12

Measure - ratio
- every x responses gets a reward

Time - interval
- every x minutes (if you respond) gets a reward

Question 13

Give an example of fixed ratio

Answer 13

After every 5 responses, get food

Question 14

Give an example of variable ratio

Answer 14

Could be 5 responses, could be 10 –> food

Question 15

Give an example of fixed interval

Answer 15

After 2 minutes –> food (if response is performed)

E.g. mail delivery every day at 1pm

Question 16

Give an example of variable interval

Answer 16

After 2, 4, 6 or 8 minutes –> food
E.g. mail delivery could be 10am, or 1pm or 7pm…
- check multiple times throughout day

Question 17

Which type of schedule promotes “scallop” responding?

Answer 17

Fixed interval

- change in speed of responding but never a pause

Question 18

Which type of schedule promotes “pause & run” responding?

Answer 18

Fixed ratio

- pause after reinforcement is delivers

Question 19

Which schedule promotes pretty consistent responding

Answer 19

VR > VI

Question 20

Other schedules?

Answer 20

• progressive ratio and break point
• second order schedule
• continuous schedule
• partial schedule

Question 21

Explain progressive break point schedule

Answer 21

Ratio increases progressively within the session (exponentially)

• see how much effort subject is willing to invest
• break point = responding breaks down

Question 22

Which schedule is used to assess the potency of reinforcer?

Answer 22

Progressive ratio and break point

Question 23

Explain second order schedule

Answer 23

A “schedule of schedules” using conditioned reinforcers

1. controls primary reinforcer (e.g. cocaine infusions)
2. controls conditioned reinforcer (e.g. cocaine CS - light)

Question 24

Which schedule promotes rapid extinction?

Answer 24

continuous

- does not encourage persistent behaviour

Question 25

Which schedule promotes the highest rate of responding?

Answer 25

VR

Question 26

When does VI promote the most consistent level of responding?

Answer 26

When reinforcement is infrequent

Question 27

Which theory explains the performance of persistent behaviour?

Answer 27

partial reinforcement extinction effect (PREE)

Question 28

Explain the paradoxical reward effect

Answer 28

No reinforcer present but still responding - frustration energizes behaviour = Frustration reaction (rF) -Abram Amsel --> stimulus effect (sF) - sF is eventually reinforced Frustration = response but then acts as a stimulus

Question 29

Explain the magnitude of reinforcement extinction effect

Answer 29

behaviour reinforced by large rewards extinguishes faster

Question 30

Explain the overleanrning extinction effect

Answer 30

behaviour extensively reinforced can extinguish faster

Question 31

Explain behavioural modification

Answer 31

Application of principles of reinforcement to practical problems of human behaviour - baseline - reinforcement 1 - reversal - reinforcement 2 - postchecks - -> pay attention to wanted behaviour, and stop paying attention to unwanted behaviour - breakdown behaviour into different components - -> IMMEDIATE AND FREQUENT FEEDBACK

Question 32

What is token economy (or contingency management)?

Answer 32

Points or tokens are established as secondary reinforcers through pairings with a variety of potent reinforcers

Question 33

What are the advantages of using token economy?

Answer 33

1. points/tokens are easy to dispense and can be finished immediately 2. they can be used as generalized reinforcers (operant and classical)

Question 34

Tactics for maintaining behaviour

Answer 34

1. partial reinforcement (begin with continuous but rapidly switch to partial) 2. reinforcing in a variety of settings 3. fading - conditioned/primary reinforcers slowly removed - longer time intervals between trials 4. conditioned reinforcers

Question 35

Moral objections associated with reinforcement?

Answer 35

bribery and greed

Question 36

Explain the Premack Principle (David Premack)

Answer 36

Access to preferred behaviour reinforces less preferred behaviour and punishes more preferred behaviour E.g. TV for studying vs. TV for playing soccer (negatively affects motivation to play soccer)

Question 37

What does it mean to undermine intrinsic motivation?

Answer 37

Punished by reward phenomenon

Question 38

Determinants of undermining:

Answer 38

1. initial interest 2. reinforcing obedience vs. competence 3. nature of reinforcer (social better than material) 4. size of reinforcer (small = better) - principle of minimal force 5. establish behaviour contract (if you do this --> you'll get this)

Question 39

A ket element in successful behavioural modification is?

Answer 39

immediate and frequent feedbacks

Question 40

Which of the following about token economy is true?

Answer 40

- based on the principles of classical conditioning - based on the principles of operant conditioning - used in behavioural modification

Question 41

Which of the following is true about the frustration effect?

Answer 41

- frustration is a response - frustration is a stimuli - frustration can be conditioned

Question 42

Which of the following schedules results in a conditioned or primary reinforcers after every tart behaviour?

Answer 42

Continuous

Question 43

Discrimination:

Answer 43

- can be studies in a variety of species - is the opposite of generalization - is ideal to control unwanted behaviours

Question 44

Which of the following is true about delay of reinforcement?

Answer 44

for learning to occur, it should be brief