Chapter 11 Questions

Describe the main advantage of rule-governed behavior over contingency-shaped behavior. What are two disadvantages of rule-governed behavior?

1. What may require several hours of training requires only a few seconds of interaction with rules 2. Need to perform a behavior to learn, can't always learn based off of verbal instructions 3. May be too stuck to the rules to allow natural contingency to shape your behavior (follow rules so closely, we don't learn from practice/experience)

List three important features that determine whether an observer will attend to a model's behavior.

1. the observer must receive reinforcement for the behavior 2. whether the observer has sufficient skills to benefit form the modeling 3. personal characteristics of the model can strongly influence the extent to which the observer will attend to the model

List three ways in which acquisition of information through observational learning translates into performance of the behavior.

1. we are more likely (or less likely) to perform a modeled behavior when we observed the model experience reinforcement (or punishment) for that behavior 2. we are more or less likely to perform a modeled behavior when we ourselves will experience reinforcement (or punishment) for performing that behavior 3. our own history of reinforcement or punishment for performing modeled behaviors

Describe Bandura's Bobo Doll studies. What were the main conclusions from those studies?

Children saw adults acting aggressively towards a doll, then when they were able to be with the doll, they acted aggressively as well Children were very precise with their aggressive behavior, demonstrating true imitation of the model's aggressive behavior Children more likely to replicate behavior if they saw model being reinforced, and less likely if they saw model being punished

Distinguish the roles of classical and operant conditioning in observational learning.

Classical conditioning: vicarious emotional response, stimuli involved are usually emotional in nature and serve as conditioned stimuli Operant conditioning: you could watch your parents drive for years and acquire most of the skills, but until you actually drive, you are not performing the skills you observed (you could also acquire info about a behavior without ever translating that info into performance too)

Define contagious behavior and stimulus enhancement, and give an example of each.

Contagious behavior is a more-or-less instinctive or reflexive behavior triggered by the occurrence of the same behavior in another individual. An example of this is if I started giggling at a funny picture, my classmate may start giggling because I am giggling, and then you could start giggling because you saw/heard us giggling. This is an adaptive response, and is important for bonding and social interaction. Stimulus enhancement is when the probability of a behavior is changed because an individual's attention is drawn to a particular item or location by the behavior of another individual. An example of this is if I saw someone look at the board during an exam and gasp as if the answer was on the board, the classmate's behavior may make me look at the board and copy what is written on the board. My classmate may not have copied down what was on the board, but their behavior caused me to look at the board and make my own choice to copy the writing.

What is generalized imitation, and how is it made use of in applied behavior analysis?

Generalized imitation: a tendency to imitate a new modeled behavior with no specific reinforcement for doing so Applied behavior analysts make use of it when working with children who are developmentally delayed/autistic and who are often deficient in their ability to learn through observation (reinforce the imitation of some behaviors, which can lead to a tendency to imitate)

How might Say-Do correspondence be related to the concept of willpower?

If you have high say-do correspondence, you also probably have high willpower (make a vow)

Use examples to illustrate the difference between stimulus enhancement and true imitation.

Stimulus enhancement: saw girl running to candy bowl, i got candy True imitation: saw girl eating candy very slowly and peculiarly, i try to eat the candy similarly

Define observational learning and give an example. Be sure to clearly differentiate the model from the observer.

Observational learning is when the behavior of a model is witnessed by an observer, and the observer's behavior is subsequently changed. The model is the person performing the behavior, and the observer is the person watching the model's behavior, thus the observer is the one whose behavior is changed. An example is if I see a commercial with a gorgeous girl driving a nice car really fast, and she gets all of the attractive men, then I might drive fast and hope that I come across as gorgeous and get all of the attractive men. The attractive girl is the model, and I am the observer, and observing the commercial may change my behavior.

What is a personal process rule (or implementation intention)? Why (in terms of bright boundaries) are personal process rules particularly effective?

Personal process rule: personal rules that indicate the specific process by which a task is to be accomplished We are more likely to succeed when the rule specifically sets out the conditions under which it has been obeyed or violated

What is a personal rule? What is say-do correspondence, and how is it related to the effectiveness of personal rules for controlling behavior?

Personal rule: verbal descriptions of contingencies that we present to ourselves to influence our behavior Say-Do correspondance: when there is a close match between what we say we are going to do and what we actually do at a later time If we receive high reinforcement for following personal rules as children, we should display higher say-do correspondence

Define the terms rule and rule-governed behavior. What is the distinction between a rule and an instruction?

Rule: a verbal description of a contingency Rule-governed behavior: behavior that has been generated through exposure to rules Instruction: if a rule says something about how we should respond

How does stimulus enhancement differ from true imitation?

Stimulus enhancement is when you direct your attention to a particular place or object making it more likely that the observer will approach that place or object (simply allows the triggers to be noticed, not the behavior that made you notice the trigger)

Define true imitation. Describe evidence that some animals are capable of imitation.

a form of observational learning that involves the close duplication of a novel behavior orangutans regularly copied the complex actions of the humans with whom they interacted, including learning to hang hammocks, build bridges, and use boats, and even start fires

Define vicarious emotional responses. Diagram the conditioning process by which a smile can become a conditioned stimulus for pleasant emotions.

Vicarious emotional responses are classically conditioned emotional responses that result from seeing those emotional responses exhibited by others. Expressions of fear in others may act as unconditioned stimuli that elicit the behavior in us. Smiles in others (NS1): Pleasurable events (US) → Pleasant emotions in oneself (UR) Smiles in others (CS1): Pleasant emotions in oneself (CR)

In what way might exposure to violent media predispose females to become victims of violence?

desensitization to violence may allow females to feel that violence and aggression are normal; victims

What are the sex differences associated with exposure to violent media and subsequent violent behavior?

most studies show that men are more likely to express the effects of exposure to violent media girls learn violence as well as boys do, but have a greater tendency to inhibit violence unless there is an incentive for violence

Why has evidence about the relationship between violent media and violent behavior been underestimated or ignored?

most violent figures in the media are male, and females are more likely to have aggressive behaviors if the aggressive model is female

Describe research which indicates that interaction with violent media increases the risk of violent behavior.

the amount of violent media viewed in childhood is significantly correlated with aggressive and antisocial behavior 10 years later, even after controlling for confounding variables also been shown to be significantly related to adult criminality