Chapter 4 - Increasing Behavior with Positive Reinforcement

Operant behaviors that are followed by punishers are...

decreased

Negative reinforcement (escape conditioning) states...

the removal of certain stimuli immediately after the occurrence of a response will increase the likelihood of that response.

Natural environment is

a setting in which a individual carries out normal, everyday functions

2 ways in which individuals inaccurately explain behavior

1. A principle can be inaccurately used as an oversimplified explanation of a change in behavior 2. Individuals without behavioral knowledge sometimes attempt to "explain" behavior of the lack of it by inappropriately giving people a label.

Positive reinforcers are classified under 5 headings

1. Consumerable 2. Activity 3. Manipulative 4. Possesional 5. Social

Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Positive Reinforcement are

1. Selecting the Behavior to be Increased 2. Choosing Reinforcers ("Different Strokes for Different Folks") 3. Motivating Operations 4. Reinforcer Size 5. Instructions: Make Use of Rules 6. Reinforcer Immediacy 7. Contingent V.S. Noncontingent Reinforcers 8. Weaning the Learner from the Program and Changing to Natural Reinforcers

Instructions facilitate behavioral change in 3 ways

1. Specific instructions will speed up learning process for individuals who understand them. 2. Instructions may influence and individual to work for delayed reinforcement. 3. Adding instructions to reinforcement programs may help to teach individuals (such as very young children or pers

4 distinct ways in which lack of knowledge of a principle or procedure can be problematic

1. Unaware-Misapplication Pitfall 2. Partial-Knowledge-Misapplication Pitfall 3. Failure-to-Apply Pitfall 4. Inaccurate-Explanation-of-Behavior Pitfall

What kind of law is Positive Reinforcement?

A Law of Behavior

Positive reinforcer

An event that, when presented immediately following a behaviour, causes behaviour to increase in frequency.

Why does positive reinforcement increase a response?

Because of presentation of positive stimuli

Why does negative reinforcement increase a response?

Because the removal or taking away of a negative (or aversive) stimulus

operant behaviours

Behaviors that operate on the environment to generate consequences and are in turn influenced by those consequences

What does positive reinforcement state?

If someone in a given situation does something that is followed immediately by a positive reinforcer, then that person is more likely to do the same thing the next time he or she encounters a similar sitation.

Satiation

That condition in which the individual has experienced the reinforcer to such an extent that its is no longer reinforcing.

Reinforcer Size

The optimum size or amount of a reinforcer needed to ensure its effectiveness will depend on additional factors, such as the difficulty of behavior and the availability of competing behaviors for alternative reinforcers.

Operant behaviors that are followed by positive reinforcers are...

increased

Programmed reinforcers (arbitrary or contrived) are

reinforcers that are arranged systematically by psychologists, teachers, and others, in behavior modification programs.

Natural reinforcers are

reinforcers that follow behavior in the course of everyday living