Reinforcement

Question 1

What is the Premack principle?

Answer 1

Pairing a low probability behaviour with a behaviour that has a high rate of occurrence to increase it’s occurrence.

Question 2

What is a Baseline phase?

Answer 2

The measure of a behaviour prior to a treatment programme.

Question 3

What are the four basic consequences of behaviour?

Answer 3

• Positive reinforcement
• Negative reinforcement
• Positive punishment
• Negative punishment

Question 4

What is the difference between positive and negative reinforcement?

Answer 4

Positive - addition of a stimulus

Negative - removal of a stimulus

Question 5

What are operant behaviours/responses?

Answer 5

Behaviours that generate a response from the environment and are in turn influenced be the environment

Question 6

Identify three factors that influence the effectiveness of operant conditioning.

Answer 6

• Specifically identify the behaviour
• Choose suitable reinforcers
• Immediacy

Question 7

Matching law

Answer 7

Try to ensure magnitude of reinforcer matches effort required to perform behaviour

Question 8

Satiation

Answer 8

When a reinforcer is too large or is presented too often the individual will no longer desire that stimulus and it value as a reinforcer is lost

Question 9

Deprivation

Answer 9

The length of time deprived of a reinforcer.

Question 10

What are motivating operations?

Answer 10

Events that:
• temporarily alter the effects of a stimulus to function as a reinforcer
• altar the frequency of behaviour reinforced by stimulus

Question 11

What are the two types of motivating operations?

Answer 11

Establishing operations - makes stimuli more likely to reinforce

Abolishing operations - makes stimuli less likely to reinforce

Question 12

What are contingent/noncontingent reinforcers?

Answer 12

Contingent - when a reinforcer immediately fills behaviour.

Noncontingent - when the reinforcer is presented regardless of the preceding behaviour

Question 13

Dangers of delayed reinforcement:

Answer 13

The individual may have been performing an undesirable behaviour directly before reinforcement. Could unintentionally reinforce the bad behaviour

Question 14

Adventitious Reinforcement

Answer 14

When a noncontingent reinforcer accidentally follows a behaviour, strengthening it even though there is no contingency

Question 15

What are conditioned/secondary and unconditioned/primary reinforcers?

Answer 15

Unconditioned - reinforcers that are innate

Conditioned - stimuli that become reinforcers through being paired with backup reinforcers

Question 16

What is a programmed reinforcer?

Answer 16

The reinforcer used in contrived settings. These should later be exchanged for natural reinforcers

Question 17

Direct effect

Answer 17

Increased frequency of a response because of immediate reinforcement

Question 18

Indirect effect

Answer 18

Strengthening of a response that has been followed by a delayed reinforcer