Operant Conditioning
What schedule of reinforcement leads to the fastest acquisition rate?
A fixed ratio schedule
What schedule of reinforcement typically leads to a pattern of responding in which the organism pauses temporarily after receiving a reinforcement?
A fixed ratio schedule
What schedule of reinforcement leads to the slowest acquisition rate?
A variable interval schedule
A continuous reinforcement schedule is a specific type of what kind of schedule?
Fixed ratio
Not being allowed to go out on the weekend until your grades improve is an example of what type of consequence?
Negative reinforcement
What is the key difference between negative reinforcement and punishment, that is often forgotten (and often leads to the term 'punishment' being used incorrectly)?
Negative reinforcement - increase frequency of behavior; Punishment - decrease frequency of behavior
What is the ending of an aversive event/item that increases the frequency of behavior that preceded it?
Negative reinforcer
What is the name of the schedule where a certain number of responses are necessary to produce the reinforcement?
Ratio schedule
What consequence leads to an increase in the frequency of a behavior?
Reinforcement
What are the two classes of reinforcement schedules?
Fixed and variable
What schedule of reinforcement is the least resistant to extinction?
A fixed ratio schedule
What is a specified relationship between behavior and reinforcement called?
A contingency
Food is an example of what type of reinforcer?
A primary reinforcer
A FR schedule typically leads to what pattern of responses by an organism?
A scalloped pattern in which there is a post-reinforcement pause
Money is an example of what type of reinforcer?
A secondary reinforcer
What is another name for an Operant Chamber?
A skinner box
What schedule of reinforcement is the most resistant to extinction?
A variable interval schedule
What is the name of the apparatus that is used operantly condition animals?
An operant chamber
What is the name of the process by which seemingly random behaviors can be reinforced and become part of an organism's normal behavioral pattern?
Autoshaping
Who is the famous behaviorist that was best known for his work on Operant Conditioning?
B.F Skinner
What two forms of learning commonly result from negative reinforcement?
Escape learning & Avoidance learning
What is typically used as a reinforcer when operantly conditioning animals?
Food
What is the name of the schedule where reinforcement becomes available at a certain period of time after the last reinforcement?
Interval schedule
What is the probability of a given response being produced is increased if it is followed by reward or a positive reinforcer?
Law of reinforcement
What is the formation of an association between some action and its consequences?
Operant conditioning
What animal did B.F Skinner primarily work with?
Pigeons
A reinforcer necessary for survival is known as a...
Primary reinforcer
Not being allowed to go out on the weekend because you got a bad grade on a test is an example of what type of consequence?
Punishment
What consequence leads to a decrease in the frequency of a behavior?
Punishment
What is the use of an adverse event contingent upon the occurrence of an inappropriate or unwanted behavior?
Punishment
What is an event/item that increases the frequency of behavior that precedes it?
Reinforcer
A reinforcer that does not fulfill basic survival needs is known as a...
Secondary reinforcer
What is the use of reinforcement to produce progressive changes in behavior in a desired direction?
Shaping
What is the result of positive / negative reinforcement?
The behavior being strengthened.
According to Skinner, what determines contingencies?
The environment
Upon what does a participant in operant conditioning operate, to cause an effect?
The environment
What is involved in Operant conditioning?
The formation of an association between an action and its consequences.
How does a secondary reinforcer usually become a reinforcer?
Through classical conditioning to a primary reinforcer
What schedule of reinforcement involves on average every nth response being is reinforced, but with some variation around this rate?
Variable ratio
