Learning Exam #2 - Operant Behavior & Reinforcement
Reinforcer (S^R)
1. Consequence that follows a response 2. Increase the probability of that response in the future 3. Probability of the response increases because of the consequence
Establishing Operations (EO)
Any environmental event or operation that: A. momentarily INCREASES the reinforcing efficacy of a stimulus B. momentarily INCREASES the probability of the response necessary to obtain the reinforcement that has been altered
Discriminative stimulus (S^D)
Any event that precedes operant behavior and sets the occasion for behavior The A sets the occasion for the behavior, IT SIGNALS whether the response will be reinforced Note: Discriminative stimuli do not force a behavior, operant behavior is voluntary Examples: You see a stop sign, you stop You see a skunk, you walk away A pigeon in a skinner box, yellow light signals food Throwing a football Antecedents A S^D See a receiver open Behavior B Throw the football Consequence C S^R Touchdown
Operant Behavior
Behavior that is mediated by its consequences Voluntary behavior
Deprivation
Calculation of average weight Kept at 85% of free-feeding weight
You tell your friends as story (Behavior) She laughs (Consequence) Is her laughing a reinforcer?
It depends If you are then more likely to tell her stories, then laugh was a reinforcer If you are then NOT more likely to tell her stories, laughing was not a reinforcer
Examples of EO
1. Food deprivation By depriving an organism of food, it makes food a stronger reinforcer, and makes behavior involved in obtaining food more likely 2. Bars put out popcorn or nuts because they are salty and make you thirsty, therefore you order more drinks 3. If you are very hot, it increases the probability you want ice or want to go swimming 4. If you are very cold, it increases the probability you want hot tea, soup, hot coffee, etc
Factors affecting the efficacy of reinforcement (5)
1. Quality 2. Delay 3. Quantity 4. Establishing operations (EO) 5. Schedules of reinforcement
Contingency of Reinforcement
A (Antecedent Stimulus) --> B (Behavior) --> C (Consequence Reinforcers)
Reward
A stimulus that is presented following a response Behavior does not necessarily increase in the future Behavior does not necessarily increase because of this consequence Often includes a contractual agreement before the response
We cannot know that anything is a reinforcer or punisher until...
After it happens
Which of the following examples of operant behavior? Reading a book Painting a picture Driving a car All of these
All of these
Positive punishment
An operant results in the presentation of an event, and later decreases the frequency of this operant Example: Being scolded Burning your hand on the stove Playing with a cat, pulling the tail, they bite you, decreases frequency of pulling tail
Negative punishment
An operant results in the removal of an event, and later decreases the frequency of this operant Example: Being grounded Taking a toy away from a child Caught texting, professor takes phone away, student never texts in class again
Negative reinforcement
An operant results in the removal of an event, and this later increases the frequency of this operant Ex. Opening an umbrella when it is raining to prevent you from getting wet Did good on a test, parents say you no longer have to do dishes tonight When you go the car and turn the key, the car beeps, so you put on the seat belt and consequence is that the beeping stops. You go to the car and immediately put the seat belt on now and it takes away the beeping sound
Examples of operant behavior?
Driving Sports (Shooting a basketball, throwing a football) Brushing teeth
How would you implement a Premack contingency to modify your behavior?
You can eat whatever you want only if you exercise
Operant class
Group of responses that result in the same consequence May be of different topographies Example: Can answer your phone by saying, "Hey Alex, answer phone," or you can pick it up and press the green button. Both have the same consequence of talking to someone on the phone A door can be opened by kicking it open or by turning the door knob, both produce the same consequences of the door being opened
Quality
Higher quality works better How tasty are the pellets I gave the rats?
Schedules of reinforcement
How often do I give the rat a pellet for pressing the lever? Different schedules of reinforcement produce different patterns of behavior
Operant conditioning procedures - Free operant method
How often will the behavior occur without any external contingencies Organism can emit many responses or none at all
If:Then relations exampe
IF the lever is pressed THEN food is presented IF the doorknob is turned, THEN the door opens IF I go to class, THEN I will get a good grade
What do "reinforcement," "punishment," "positive," and "negative" mean
If behavior increases, it is called a reinforcement If behavior decreases, it is called a punishment Positive means presentation of stimulus after a behavior Negative means stimulus was removed after a behavior
Operant conditioning
Increase or decrease in operant behavior as a function of a contingency of reinforcement Law of effect Measured latency
Successive approximations
Means we are constantly changing our criterion for reinforcement At any given point in time, some but not all responses are reinforced
Quantity
More is better to a certain extent The rat presses the lever more when I give him 5 pellets than 1 pellet
Operant conditioning procedures (4) What is Operant Rate
Operant rate Free operant method Deprivation Magazine Train Operant Rate - Probability of behavior
Shaping is used to produce responses that might not...
Otherwise be emitted or might be emitted only after a considerable time
Limits to what can be shaped
Physiological constraints Phylogenetic constraints
Uses of positive reinforcement
Positive reinforcement can be used to: Produce new behaviors Modify established behaviors in 1. Topography 2. Frequency 3. Duration
Magazine Train
Rat placed in operant chamber Food delivery preceded by "click" of feeder Rat stays close to feeder
Differential reinforcement
Refers to the simultaneous operation of reinforcement and extinction We set a criterion for reinforcement. Any response that meets our criterion is reinforced, and all other responses are extinguished
Reward does not equal...
Reinforcement
Successive approximatons
Reinforcing closer and closer approximations to the final performance As the organism's behavior becomes closer to the target, more distant responses are extinguished
Contingency of Reinforcement examples
You are at a party (A) --> You tell your friend a joke (B) --> He laughs (C) You are at school (A) --> You get a problem correct (B) --> Everyone claps (C)
Delay
Shorter delay works better I give the rats a pellet immediately after they press the lever Ex. Punishing a child, mother says "Just wait until your dad gets home," dad does not get home until late that night, the punishment will not be effective behavior there was a long delay
Skinner used the method of...
Successive approximations to train rats to press levers Presented rats with food pellets for moving toward lever Then for putting paw on wall near lever Then for putting paw on lever Then for pressing lever
Shaping
The method of successive approximation Used to teach an organism new behavior
Positive reinforcement Examples?
The process by which a stimulus is presented after a response, and that response increases in the future Common positive reinforcers include attention, money or food
Reinforcement
The process by which behavior increases when it is followed by a particular consequence
Operant conditioning
The process by which behavior is modified by its consequences If-then relationships
Allen & Iwata
Wanted to increase exercise in developmentally disabled adults Participation in games was contingent on exercise Premack contingency increases exercise participation Games were an effective reinforcer for exercising Make game participant contingent on exercise, then exercise increases
The Premack Principle
We can use ongoing behavior to change the frequency of other behavior We do not have to use extra stimuli For any pair of responses, the more probable one may serve as a reinforcer for the less probable one Measure frequency of both behaviors under baseline conditions Given free access to activities such as solving math problems and kicking a ball, how does the child allocate her behavior? Now make access to the more probable activity dependent on engaging in the less probably activity