PSY 4600 Unit 2 Exam

A. State two things that zoo officials have done to try to make life better for captive animals.

1. Make the enclosures more naturalistic 2. add toys, boomer balls

Extinction.

A reinforcer that has followed the response in the past is withheld, and, as a result the response decreases in frequency in the future. Note that the reinforcement is withheld (not presented), rather than withdrawn. (If you withdraw a reinforcer, it means that you are taking a reinforcer away after it has been provided, which is a form of punishment).

SD

Discriminative Stimulus

S∆

S delta

Remember, the study objective says to diagram (a) how to develop and (b) how to test any Sr. If I give you a new scenario, be able to apply it to the diagram above. For example, let's say that I want to use tickets (like the ones you get at video arcade) as reinforcers to increase my son saying please. How would I do that? First, I would have to think of something to pair those tickets with. I know my son likes chocolate (an SR), so I would do the following:

When Ian is food deprived: NS (tickets)/SR (food) (repeat several times, NO behavior necessary) NS (ticket) becomes Sr (ticket)

When will a stimulus become both a conditioned stimulus and a conditioned reinforcer via one pairing process? (memorize answer for exam)

When the NS is paired with a stimulus that is both a US and an SR, or both a CS and an Sr.

Sr-

conditioned negative reinforcer

Diagram how to (a) develop and (b) test an Sr. To develop an Sr=

(the answer you must provide is below): When the elephant was food deprived: NS (clicking sound)/SR (carrot) (repeat several times, NO behavior necessary) NS (Click) becomes Sr (click)

Diagram how to (a) develop and (b) test an Sr. Testing new Srs=

(the answer you must provide is below); When the elephant is food deprived R (lift leg)----->Sr (click) If R (lifting the leg) increases in the future, then the NS (click) has become a Sr (click).

Rafael gets a muscle cramp. He massages the muscle (the behavior of interest) and the cramp immediately decreases in severity. As a result, when Rafael gets a muscle cramp in the future, he massages it more frequently than he has done in the past.

. Negative reinforcement (escape): The muscle cramp is (a) a pre-existing aversive stimulus, (b) the behavior decreases the pain from the cramp and (c) the behavior increases in frequency in the future

Negative reinforcement, negative reinforcer

A consequence (a punisher) is immediately taken away (withdrawn), terminated/decreased or is avoided, and as a result the response increases in frequency in the future. The termination of the stimulus or the avoidance of the stimulus is the negative reinforcer.

Negative punishment, negative punisher.

A consequence (a reinforcer) is immediately taken away (withdrawn), terminated or decreased, and as a result the response decreases in frequency in the future. The withdrawal/termination/decrease of the stimulus is the negative reinforcer.

Punishment, punisher.

A consequence (or stimulus) follows a response, immediately follows the response (within 60 sec or less) and as a result the response decreases in frequency in the future. Malott calls this "penalty" but I will not accept that term on the exam because the rest of the field refers to this procedure as punishment. Because people have such negative reactions to the term "punishment", it is quite reasonable that Malott changed this term. I am sympathetic to his effort, but again, the fact remains that the rest of the field still refers to this procedure as punishment.

Reinforcement, reinforcer.

A consequence (or stimulus) follows a response, immediately follows the response (within 60 sec or less) and as a result the response increases in frequency in the future. In the case of a response that is already at maximum frequency, reinforcement maintains that level of responding.

Positive punishment, positive punisher

A consequence is immediately presented or added after a response, and as a result the response decreases in frequency in the future.

Positive reinforcement, positive reinforcer.

A consequence is immediately presented or added after a response, and as a result the response increases in frequency in the future. In the case of a response that is already at maximum frequency, reinforcement maintains that level of responding.

Sc

Any type of consequence (it stands for stimulus consequence)

. Arin wants to make a copy. They insert their Bronco Card in a copy machine and pushes the button (the behavior of interest). No copies are made. Arin pushes and pushes the button, but still no copies are made. Pushing the copy button on that particular machine decreases in frequency in the future.

Extinction: Putting the Bronco Card in the copy machine and pressing the copy button (a) has been reinforced by copies in the past. Now, (b) that behavior is not followed by reinforcement, and (c) decreases in frequency in the future.

Andrea's parents give her an allowance of $5.00 a week. Andrea has started screaming at her parents when she wants something rather than approaching them and asking them for what she wants in a "normal" tone of voice. Now, when Andrea screams, her parents take away twenty-five cents. As a result, in the future, Andrea does not scream at her parents as often as she had in the past.

Negative punishment (response cost). Andrea's screaming is immediately followed by taking twenty-five cents away from what she has earned for behaving appropriately in the past and decreases in the future.

. Tressie is a 5-year old who loves the beach - playing in the sand, running around, splashing in the water. She throws sand at her two cousins (very hard) and her parents immediately require her to sit on the beach blanket for 5 minutes. As a result, Tressie doesn't throw sand at her cousins as often in the future.

Negative punishment (time-out): Throwing sand was immediately followed with a time-out (during which her reinforers were withheld, including the reactions from her cousins when she threw the sand at them), and as a result the behavior decreased in frequency in the future. Some might mistakenly call this extinction. However, the reinforcement was withdrawn, not withheld.

Naveed gets bitten by bugs when he walks in the woods. One day, he puts on a new kind of bug repellant and does not get bitten by bugs. As a result, in the future, he puts on that new kind of bug repellant before he walks in the woods.

Negative reinforcement (avoidance): In the past, Naveed has gotten bitten by bugs in the woods. (a) The behavior of putting on a new kind of bug repellant, (b) avoids the aversive consequence of being bitten and (c) increases in the future.

What has been the effect of putting large balls and toys in the enclosures of animals? In other words, has that been effective?

No, it has not been effective because there is no reinforcement for playing with them.

Nate pulls the tail of his cat (the behavior of interest) and the cat immediately scratches him. As a result, in the future, Nate doesn't pull the cat's tail as often as he had in the past.

Positive punishment: Pulling the tail of the cat is (a) immediately followed by pain from being scratched by the cat, and (b) decreases in frequency in the future. Note, some might mistakenly call this avoidance because Nate avoids pulling the tail of the cat in the future. However, by definition, avoidance is a form of negative reinforcement in our field and means avoidance of "something bad" (in lay terms). Avoidance always, always increases behavior in the future. Punishment decreases the behavior.

. A worker is standing around with co-workers and puts on her hard hat before entering the construction area. Her supervisor sees this and immediately says, "Hey, that's great, Jelissa - thanks for making Safety First a reality!" As a result, Jelissa puts on her hard hat less often in the future before entering the construction area than she had in the past.

Positive punishment: Putting on the hard hat is (a) immediately followed by her supervisor's statement (b) decreases in frequency in the future. Note again, some may mistakenly call this reinforcement because the consequence was her supervisor's praise. But again, her behavior decreased in frequency in the future - possibly because of conflicting contingencies. Her male colleagues might, for example, consider her a "wimp" for putting on the hard hat.

Barbara calls her little sister a "scaredy cat" (the behavior of interest) and the little sister immediately begins to cry. As a result, Barbara calls her sister a scaredy cat more often in the future.

Positive reinforcement: Calling the sister a scardy cat is (a) immediately followed by her sister's crying (something is added after the behavior), and (b) increases in frequency in the future.

Difference between Respondent Conditioning and Development of an Sr

Similarity: both involve stimulus/stimulus pairing.Difference: With respondent conditioning an NS is paired with a US or CS; with the development of an Sr, an NS is paired with an SR or Sr.

negative punishment: Response cost.

The immediate loss/removal of a positive reinforcer which is usually a tangible reinforcer such as money, food, points, a toy, a video, or tokens contingent on a problem behavior, and as result the response decreases in frequency in the future.

negative punishment: Time-out.

The immediate loss/removal of positive reinforcers for a brief period of time contingent on the problem behavior typically, but not always, by removing the individual from the environment, and as a result the response decreases in frequency in the future. Procedurally, the key difference between response cost and time out is that in time out the individual is not able to receive any reinforcement for a brief period of time.

negative reinforcement: Avoidance.

The response prevents an aversive stimulus. When a child plays quietly the playing quietly prevents criticism by the parent or teacher.

negative reinforcement: Escape.

The response terminates or decreases an already existing stimulus. An example: An alarm clock is sounding: Press the snooze button --->Alarm ceases. As a result, pressing the snooze button increases in frequency in the future.

SR-

Unconditioned negative reinforcer

SR+

Unconditioned positive reinforcer

SP

Unconditioned punisher

SR

Unconditioned reinforcer

A. Testing new Srs. Ok, so we have paired tickets and chocolate. We are done now, right? NO!!!!!!!!!. Keep in mind that in the scenario for SO 17, I told you the behavior I am looking for - please. So, once again, plug that into the diagram:

When Ian is food deprived R ("please")----->Sr (ticket) If R("please") increases in the future, then the NS(ticket) has become a Sr (ticket).

Sr+

conditioned positive reinforcer

Sp

conditioned punisher

Sr

conditioned reinforcer (any kind)

Why did trainers establish the clicking sound as an Sr and use it as a reinforcer rather than using an SR? (memorize answer for exam)

it (a) can be provided more immediately after behaviors, (b) does not interrupt the behavioral sequence, and (c) prevents satiation.