Chapter 4: Increasing a Behavior with Positive Reinforcement

"It is always the individual's performance that tells you whether or not you have selected an effective reinforcer." Explain what this means.

If you are not sure if a particular item is reinforcing, you can always conduct an experimental test when selecting a potential reinforcer for an individual.

What do behavior modifiers mean by the term deprivation?

To indicate the time during which an individual does not experience the reinforcer.

What is a positive reinforcer?

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

What is operant behavior? (Possible quiz question)

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

List the five somewhat overlapping headings under which most positive reinforcers can be classified.

Consumable Activity Manipulative Possessional Social

What is a motivating operation? (Possible quiz question)

Event or conditions such as deprivation and satiation that temporarily alter the effectiveness of a reinforcer and alter the frequency of behavior reinforced by the reinforcer.

Using the definition of positive reinforcer, how might you conduct a test to determine if the social attention of a particular adult is or is not reinforcing for a withdrawn child?

If an object or event is defined as a reinforcer only by its effect on behavior.

What is the principle of positive reinforcement? (Possible quiz question)

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

Describe the Premack principle. (Possible quiz question)

If the opportunity to engage in a behavior that has a high probability of occurring is made contingent on a behavior that has a low probability of occurring, then the behavior that has the low probability of occurring will increase.

How are positive and negative reinforcement similar, and how are they different? (Possible quiz question)

Positive and negative reinforcements are similar because they both increase responses. Positive and negative reinforcement are different because positive reinforcement increases a response because of the presentation of a positive stimulus. With negative reinforcement it increases a response by the removal or taking away of a negative (or aversive) stimulus.

Define negative reinforcement and give an example that is not from this chapter. (Possible quiz question)

States that the removal of certain stimuli immediately after the occurrence of a response will increase the likelihood of that response. An example of negative reinforcement would be screaming so Timmy doesn't have to eat carrots.

What do behavior modifiers mean by the term satiation?

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

Should you tell an individual with whom you are using reinforcement about the reinforcement program before putting it into effect? Why or why not.

You should not tell an individual whom you are using reinforcement with about the problem because reinforcement should be reinforced after a desired response has occurred .