Ch. 1-3 Questions

Show how the error of reification is an example of circular reasoning.

"Dr. Thud, why does Jenny act so strangely ( a behavior )? Easy, because she has a mental illness ( a thing ). And, Dr. Thud, how do you know Jenny has a mental illness? Because she acts so strangely."

How immediate is immediate?

0 seconds

Diagram an escape contingency in a Skinner box.

1 Escape from Electric Shock 2 A shock is on in the Skinner box. 3 If Rudolph the rat presses the lever, 4 the shock will turn off.

Give two examples that at first glance might appear to be reinforcement but are not because the apparent reinforcer comes before the response.

1) Thanking in advance for doing laundry 2) Paying someone to mow your lawn before she mows your lawn

Give an example of • an aversive stimulus harmful to you. • a harmful stimulus that is not aversive. • an aversive stimulus that is not harmful.

1) an aversive stimulus harmful to you: shock to body 2) a harmful stimulus that is not aversive: salt, processed sugar, fat, gum-and tooth-destroying plaque that accumulates 3) an aversive stimulus that is not harmful: proximity of others, loud noises, bright light, extreme cold or warmth, and social interaction

Rougly, what's the greatest delay you could have between the reinforcer and the response, to get any learning?

60 seconds

Aversive stimulus define it and give an example of how you could use an aversive stimulus to modify behavior.

A stimulus that increases the future frequency of a response that its removal (termination) follows. Example: The removal of the electric stimulation (aversive stimulus) reinforced Ed's leg movement.

Skinner box give an example of its use. In the example, describe: a. the apparatus b. the procedure c. the results

A) the test chamber B) No water -> presses the lever -> gets a drop of water. C) Rudolph presses the lever frequently (several times a minute).

The toothpaste theory of abnormal behavior state and give an example of this false general rule.

Abnormal behavior flows out of sick people like toothpaste squeezed from a tube. The abnormal behavior results from inner pressure. Example: Jimmy's disruptive and aggressive behavior. They say, "He's expressing an inner hostility that needs to come out." Watch out whenever anyone talks about "expressing" anything, like expressing anger or even expressing love. This toothpaste view always distracts us from looking for the contingent presentation of reinforcers and termination of aversive stimuli that actually control the behavior.

Give an example of how each can be misused.

All those taboo words get in the road of your really understanding what's going on.

Functional assessment define it.

An assessment of the contingencies responsible for problem behaviors

Medical-model myth define it and give an example.

An erroneous view of human behavior—that behavior is always a mere symptom of an underlying psychological condition. Example: Eric's tantrums suggest a more profound underlying psychological problem, perhaps insecurity.

Give a few examples where the sight of something probably reinforces the behavior of looking at it.

Any sporting event: the sight of a score or goal or home run or an activity during a given sporting event will reward the viewer and increase the future behavior of attending closely. A christmas card, a tv show and a ferret video. Looking at all of these may help me feel happy which is a reward and will reinforce my behavior of looking at it.

Use some version of the verbal expression, to be contingent , in a nontrivial sentence. By trivial I mean like "I must use 'to be contingent' in a sentence." In other words, I want you to use "to be contingent" in a way that shows you understand how to use the term correctly. For example, "Attention is contingent on Rod's crying."

Attention from students/staff is contingent to Eric's tantrums.

Who is the most famous real psychologist in the world?

B.F. Skinner

State the "Check the reinforcer first" general rule and then give an example of where and how you should use that general rule.

Before spending much time trying to reinforce behavior, make sure you have a true reinforcer. We define reinforcers in terms of their effect on behavior, not in terms of what people say.

In simple terms, compare and contrast behavior analysis and psychoanalysis.

Behavior analysis and psychoanalysis are similar in that both argue that experience causes current behavior. They differ in that behavior analysis points to the past consequences of behavior as the crucial cause, and psychoanalysis points to unconscious mental forces (influenced by experience) as the crucial cause.

Briefly describe how to use reinforcers to improve behavior in stroke victims. What were the behaviors, the reinforcers, the procedures, and the results?

Behaviors: Responding Properly Reinforcers: Grandma's smile Procedure: Grandma gives smile when Grandpa's responding properly Results: High rate of spontaneous and sensible remarks

What's the name for the kind of reasoning involved with terms like want?

Circular Reasoning

Draw the contingency table (preliminary #1) and explain it.

Contingency Table (preliminary #1) Reinforcer - (Reinforcer: Reinforcement) Aversive Stimulus - (Remove: Escape)

The general rule of environmental enrichment give a couple of examples.

Environmental-enrichment general rule: you can increase the frequency of entering a setting by putting more reinforcers in that setting, but you will have to make some reinforcers contingent on productive behavior if you want to increase productivity in that setting . -Most people change the environmental quality with the false notion that it will increase productivity, not with the correct notion that all it will do is increase the frequency of entering a setting.

To escape—use it in a sentence in a technical sense.

Escape from the electric shock is contingent to leg movement

A helpful stimulus that is not a reinforcer

Exercise

An example of a reinforcer that is helpful for you

Food and water

Give an example of reinforcer assessment

Forced choice method of reinforcer assessment: We allow the student to select one of two potential reinforcers chosen from the set. Then we repeat that a few times with those two stimuli to reliably assess the child's preference between those two.

Compare and contrast reinforcement by the presentation of a reinforcer vs. reinforcement by the removal of an aversive stimulus. Illustrate your points with an example.

If you present a reinforcer , you call the contingency reinforcement , and the frequency of the behavior increases If you remove an aversive stimulus , you call the contingency escape and the frequency of the behavior also increases. They both produce the same results: an increased response frequency.

Give a classroom example of the way tantruming might result from social reinforcers?

No attention prior, class is quiet and managed. Student acts out and receives one on one attention from staff trying to quiet boy. Boy learns tantrum = attention and proceeds with tantrumming

1. To get the best learning, how quickly should you give the reinforcer when reinforcing a response?

No longer than 1 second

Escape response (behavior)—give an example.

No movement in leg

Give an example of an assumed reinforcement contingency in college teaching.

No points -> Say Something Relevant -> Points

How does poverty relate to language skills and IQ scores? Language skills and success in school? Success in school and employment? Employment and a halfway decent life for yourself? Employment and a halfway decent life for your children, for your grandchildren, and for your great-grandchildren?

Poverty wasn't a direct cause of these problems, but the conditions often associated with poverty were. According to National Studies... Is poverty correlated to formal language skills? YES Do terrible language skills increase the probability of failing school? YES Does this lower the chances of finding a good job? YES

Compare and contrast psychiatry and psychology

Psychiatry is a specialty in medicine, just like surgery. A psychiatrist must have an MD degree. A psychologist must have a PhD, an MA, or a BA (BS) degree, depending on the licensing requirements in the state where the psychologist works. Even psychologists who specialize in behavioral medicine are PhDs, not MDs. So psychiatry is a medical specialty, and psychology is a branch of the arts and sciences. Both deal with the understanding and improvement of behavior or the mind, depending on whether you're a behaviorist or a mentalist.

Draw the tree diagram of the two basic reinforcement contingencies.

Reinforcement & Escape

Reinforcement contingency define it, use it correctly in a sentence, and diagram three examples.

Reinforcement contingency - The response-contingent presentation of a reinforcer resulting in an increased frequency of that response 1) The grandfather sees no smiles -> The grandfather makes a sensible remake -> The grandfather sees smiles 2) Baby has no attention from Dawn -> Baby cries -> Rod has attention from Dawn 3) No attention to Eric -> Eric tantrums -> Attention to Eric from student/staff

What is the difference between reinforcer and reinforcement?

Reinforcer = thing, event, change of conditions Reinforcement = the delivery of the reinforcer and the resulting change in behavior

Reinforcer define it and give an example of attention as a reinforcer.

Reinforcer is a stimulus that increases the frequency of a response it follows. Example: Dawn and Sid's attention and comfort immediately followed Rod's response of crying and increased the frequency of his crying. So attention and comfort are a reinforcer for Rod's behavior. And there's a good chance that Dawn's immediate attention and comfort when Sid whined was a reinforcer that increased the frequency of his whining.

A reinforcer that is harmful

Salt, simple processed sugar, trans fat, nicotine

Give an example of something that is probably a reinforcer for some people and not for others. Also, while you are at it, explain it.

Some people a reinforcer might be a sticker after a job well done. This however may not be a motivator if someone does not like the sticker or feels a sticker doesn't equal up to what they feel that work has earned. I pose to you after achieving pushing a rock up a hill would a sticker motivate you to again push the rock up the hill? An example of something that is probably a reinforcer for some and not others is chocolate. Some people will work for chocolate, others will run from it. This is standard for items and activities of all types.

Sick social cycle—define it and give an example. • Draw the two contingency diagrams for your example. • Draw the circular diagram of the sick social cycle.

Someone behaves in an aversive way (your baby cries whenever you leave him). You make an escape response (pick up your baby) that causes the person (your baby) to stop acting aversively. Escape from that aversive stimulus reinforces your escape response, so you will be more likely to make the same escape response the next time. But your escape response (picking up your baby) reinforces the aversive behavior (your baby's crying).

What are the 12 verbs and expressions you shouldn't use with nonhuman animals and nonverbal human beings?

say • expects • knows • thinks • figures out • in order to (or so that he, she, or it could ... ) • trying to • makes the connection • associates • learns that • imagines • understands. • With any organisms, don't say wants.

What is the principle of the delay gradient?

The effects of reinforcement and punishment contingencies decrease as the delay between the response and the outcome increases. *reinforcers delayed more than 60 seconds have little or no reinforcing effect*

How can you tell if the points are reinforcers?

The increase of saying something relevant in class

Medical model—give examples of how it differs from the behavioral view.

The medical model invents fictional cause, and the behavioral model addresses actual cause.

Behavioral contingency define it and give an example.

The occasion for a response, the response, and the outcome of the response. Example: Your boyfriend's being with you is the occasion in the presence of which crying and smiling will produce their outcomes—a kiss. Your teacher's looking at you is the occasion in the presence of which raising your hand will produce the outcome of being called on.

Baseline define it and give an example.

The phase of an experiment or intervention where the behavior is measured in the absence of an intervention.

Give an example of the use of reinforcement by the removal of an aversive stimulus. Specify the aversive stimulus and the escape behavior.

The removal of the electric stimulation (aversive stimulus) reinforced Ed's leg movement. Aversive stimulus: electric stimulation Escape: leg movement

Escape contingency define it and diagram an example.

The response-contingent removal of an aversive stimulus resulting in an increased frequency of that response. Yealland turned off the electric shock contingent on each leg movement. And, sure enough, the principle worked—Ed's leg movements became more likely.

Parsimony define it and give an example of how to convert an un-parsimonious analysis to a parsimonious analysis.

The use of no unnecessary concepts, principles, or assumptions We want to develop elegant theories. An elegant theory is one that explains as many facts as possible with as few concepts, principles, and assumptions as possible.

The error of reification define it and give an example.

To call a behavior or process a thing. Example: Saying Jenny has a mental illness

2. After an initial failure to improve behavior with a reinforcement procedure, what should we not conclude about the person's genetic quality, intelligence, ability to learn, and ability to have behavior reinforced?

We should not conclude that there will be enough occasions for reinforcement. For example, the children had to respond correctly at least sometimes so the teachers could reinforce those responses frequently enough to produce an effect. So maybe they hadn't had wall-to-wall reinforcement.

Give an example of an unacceptable behavior maintained by an escape contingency and show how you might get rid of the bad behavior by substituting a more acceptable alternative escape response. What is the unacceptable behavior? What is the aversive condition? What do you think would be the undesirable outcome of that behavior? What is the acceptable alternative response? What is the role of awareness in all this?

What is the unacceptable behavior? loud bursts of cuss words What is the aversive condition? loud laughter, conversation, and music at family dinner What do you think would be the undesirable outcome of that behavior? grace exhibits her tourrette syndrome What is the acceptable alternative response? family to quiet it down the next time they were being too loud What is the role of awareness in all this? She most likely wasn't even aware of the contingency maintaining her behavior.

What are the three functional assessment strategies?

• Interview . Talk to the person with the behavior problem and those who interact with and have direct contact with that person. • Observe . Observe the person in his or her daily routines for an extended period of time. • Intervene . Present, remove, or modify the contingencies that may be reinforcing the problem behavior.

How is the wrong use of the medical model an example of circular reasoning? Please give an example.

Why does Eric tantrum? Because he's insecure (underlying psychological condition). How do you know he's insecure? Because he tantrums (a symptom). Circular reasoning.

Diagram an example of circular reasoning.

Why does Rudolph drink the water? Because he wants it. How do you know he wants the water? Because he drinks it. Why does he drink the water? Because he wants it. How do you ... and around and around in a pattern of circular reasoning resembling Rudolph chasing his own tail.

Suppose you had a child with severe problems of bowel retention. How could you use the principle of reinforcement to help the child? Describe a. the behavior. b. the contingency. c. the reinforcer. d. the expected results.

a) bowel movements b) giving todd a piece of bubble gum after each bowel movement c) bubble gum d) increase of bowel movements

Describe an experiment that demonstrates learning without awareness. a. What species were the subjects? b. What was the response? c. What were the contingencies? d. What were the differences in the procedures for the four groups? e. What were the results for the four groups?

a. What species were the subjects? clueless group, semi-clueless group, hip group, techno-hip group b. What was the response? thumb twitch c. What were the contingencies? noise off d. What were the differences in the procedures for the four groups? Completely clueless group They were told that the experiment was about the effects on body tension of noise superimposed on music. The subject was to sit, listening to music with occasional noise interruptions. The semi-clueless group They were told that a small, invisible, but unspecified response would briefly turn off the noise. They were also told that when the noise wasn't present, the response would temporarily postpone it. The hip group They were told that the effective response was a tiny twitch of the left thumb. The techno-hip group They were told about the effects of the thumb twitch. The scientists also put a meter in front of the twitcher during the first half hour of the escape/avoidance phase. This meter was connected to the amplifier and indicated the occurrence of the twitches. e. What were the results for the four groups? Group 1: Greatly increased the frequency of their thumb twitches... even though they were completely unaware of what was going on. Group 2 They did well, too. But they gave up searching for the magic response. Group 3 Only 1 out of 3 subjects in this group learned the response. The other 2 made such large thumb twitches that the small, reinforceable thumb twitches had too little opportunity to occur. Group 4 They did the best of all. Even when the meter was removed, they continued with the same high frequency of their tiny twitches.