What is Reinforcement?
Process whereby a behavior is strengthened by its immediate consequence that reliably follows its occurrence
Positive vs Negative Reinforcement
- Positive reinforcement: the addition or increase in intensity of a desirable stimulus (reinforcer) that strengthens a behavior
- Negative reinforcement: the removal or reduction in intensity of an aversive stimulus that strengthens the behavior
What is an operant?
A behavior that acts on the environment to produce a consequence and is in turn controlled by, or repeated in the future, as a result of that consequence
What is a reinforcer?
A consequence that results in the strengthening of an operant behavior
What is Social Reinforcement?
A reinforcing consequence that occurs through the actions of another person
What is Automatic Reinforcement?
The reinforcing consequence occurs through direct contact with the physical environment
What is a Stimulus?
An object or event that can be detected by one of the five senses
What is Premack Principle?
Involves the opportunity to engage in a high-probability behavior (preferred) as a consequence of engagement in a low-probability behavior (less preferred)
What is Premack Principle?
Involves the opportunity to engage in a high-probability behavior (preferred) as a consequence of engagement in a low-probability behavior (less preferred)
Escape vs Avoidance
- Escape: the occurrence of a behavior results in the termination of an aversive stimulus that was already present when the behavior occurred
- Avoidance: the occurrence of the behavior prevents the aversive stimulus from occurring
- Both are negatively reinforced
Escape vs Avoidance
- Escape: the occurrence of a behavior results in the termination of an aversive stimulus that was already present when the behavior occurred
- Avoidance: the occurrence of the behavior prevents the aversive stimulus from occurring
- Both are negatively reinforced
Unconditioned/Primary Reinforcers
- Function as reinforcers the first time they are presented, no prior experience needed
- Have biological importance
- Susceptible to Satiation and Deprivation
Conditioned/Secondary Reinforcers
- Once a neutral stimulus but became a reinforcer by being paired with an unconditioned reinforcer or already established conditioned reinforcer
- Remains effective only if occasionally paired with other reinforcer
- Do not satiate as quickly
Generalized Conditioned Reinforcer
Conditioned reinforcer that is paired with a wide variety of other reinforcers
Token Economy
A person is awarded a token after performing a desirable behavior that can be exchanged for other reinforcers (backup reinforcers)
Primary Reinforcers vs Reflexive Responses
Primary Reinforcers
- operant conditioning
- motivating
- born to respond to, but can be achieved in different ways; no universal response
- satiation & deprivation
Reflexive
- classical conditioning
- not motivating
- universal response
What is most effective R-S Contiguity gap?
Roughly 0-5 seconds
What are the factors influencing the effectiveness of reinforcement?
- Immediacy: consequence immediately after response
- Contingency: response must occur before consequence
- Motivating Operations: establishing & abolishing
- Individual Differences
- Magnitude: intensity of consequence
Motivation Operations (MOs)
-Establishing: makes reinforcers more potent and behavior more likely to occur (evocative effect)
-Abolishing: makes reinforcers less potent and behavior like likely to occur (abative effect)
Schedules of Reinforcement
- specifies which responses will be reinforced
- continuous reinforcement schedule (CFR): every response is reinforced; FR1
- intermittent reinforcement schedule: occasionally reinforced
- acquisition of bx with CFR
- maintenance of bx with intermittent
Intermittent Schedules
- Fixed Ratio: reinforcement after certain number of responses
- Variable Ratio: after average of x responses
- Fixed Interval: reinforcement for first response after certain number of time
- Variable Interval: first response after average of x time
Other intermittent schedules
- Fixed Time: reinforcement after certain time regardless of bx
- Variable Time: in intervals that vary around average regardless of bx
- Fixed Duration: bx must be continuously performed for set amount of time
- Variable Duration: continuous performance of bx around average time
- Pacing schedule: responses not too fast or slow
Concurrent Schedules of Reinforcement
Different schedules of reinforcement that are in effect for a person’s behaviors at one time
Concurrent operants
Different responses that are available to a person at the same time
