2- Operant Conditioning

What is the difference between extinction and punishment? bc they BOTH weaken behavior ( ON QUIZ) **

- In case of OPERANT EXTINCTION: a previously reinforced behavior is emitted but now NOTHING HAPPENS (when reinforcement use to happen) - kid who makes funny joke once and keeps doing it now no more applause from parents bc not funny now is extinction. - In case of punishment a behavior is emitted and SOMETHING HAPPENS (either positive or negative)

What does schedule of reinforcement mean?

- the pattern, or schedule of delivered reinforcement is important in how quickly a behavior is learned, and how difficult it is to extinguish. - Continuous reinforcement: (peck corn, peck corn) etc. ** behaviors are learned more quickly and tend to be extinguished more quickly - Intermittent reinforcement: (every 3rd time peck get corn)- here the behavior is learned more slowly but more resistant to extinction.

What are some DISADVANTAGES associated with physical punishment?

- want to make sure never use something that will harm the child. - could engender resentment ( dont want kid not to like you) - models violence - teaches only what NOT to do (may not establish new desirable behaviors- if punishment used ** best to use SOME positive REINFORCEMENT as well to teach new desirable behaviors) - undesirable side effects in children such as crying, fearfulness - may actually be positively reinforcing (like child who liked when teacher yelled at them) ex: gaining a parents attention in the form of punishment may be better than receiving no attention at all. * overall: - punishment is safer than + punishment.

Give an example of heroin use and reinforcement:

-injection results in a powerful but relatively short lived high. - the behavior (drug use) tends to be repeated to feel high (POSITIVE R) - However the high is followed fairly quickly with advent of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms in physcially DEPENDENT user so is terminated by taking drug again ( Negative R). ** Thus both positive and negative reinforcement play a role in drug dependence. **

What are THREE factors affecting the effectiveness of punishment:

1. Immediacy- the more immediate the consequence, the more likely it is the child/adult will make the association between behavior and consequence. * in medicine the PUNISHING consequence associated with some health risk of smoking are DELAYED so hard. and makes it VERY HARD to modify these behaviors early on 2. Consistency- the child will learn most quickly if each instance of a behavior is reinforced 3. Contingenices are made clear- learning is more effective to the extent that the child understands the behavioral contigencies (if I do this, then this consequence follows).

What is punishment>?

A consequence following a behavior that WEAKENS that behavior and thus makes it LESS LIKELY to be repeated. APPLICATION of an AVERSIVE stimulus contigent upon behavior (positive punishment): push child and so mom comes and slaps him on butt- less likely do it in future or REMOVAL of a PLEASANT stimulus upon performance of behavior ( negative punishment): ex: remove bike which is childs favorite toy when did something not suppose to do so wont do in future.

What is the post extinction burst?

A rapid succession of the behavior ( pigeon go peck peck peck) at the beginning of extinction trials, usually then followed by a smooth extinction curve.

What is positive reinforcement?

A stimulus (consequence) is APPLIED following a behavior which results in STRENGTHENING of that behavior, making it more likely that the behavior will be repeated. ** Note the stimulus here CAN be actually positive like a reward but the point is that IT IS APPLIED. ** Example of this: kid who at home never gets attention then teacher YELLS at kid so kid happy bc got attention is positive reinforcement. (the feeling of getting yelled at and the attention is her stimulus) ** how we perceive it ** Difference between primary (food , sex, shelter) and secondary reinforcers (money , applause, etc).

What is the definition of reinforcement?

Behavior is INCREASED OR STRENGTHED as a result of a consequence following the behavior. (more likely that behavior performed again and thus reinforced). Skinner did this on pigeon: touch key and get corn. kept peck more to get corn (stimulus). was strengthed.

What is negative reinforcement ? EXAM **

EXAM ** DO NOT CONFUSE WITH PUNISHMENT - since this a type of reinforcement by definition we know that the behavior is STRENGTHED by a consequence that follows it. ** the aversive stimulus is REMOVED, terminated or avoided following a behavior. ** the behavior is STRENGTHED as a result. ex: pigeon get shocked so now peck the button to remove shock. ** NEGATIVE reinforcement... (avoidance conditioning) is a important concept that see in role of learning in phobias, OCD and PTSD. ex: girl who scared of parks when leave the park she get decrease anxiety and gone that is negative reinfocement and so now leads to (when the behavior allows subject to avoid an unpleasant stimulus here fear of parks then get AVOIDANCE). ** OCD= negative reinforcement (have bad obessessions that cause anxiety) so by washing hands etc, doing the behavior the consequence or stimulus of anxiety is gone. so likely do again when occurs so decrease anxiety.

Describe eating with stimulus control

Eating is a wonderful source of positive reinforcement - however we tend to eat not only when we are hungry, but also when in the presence of certain discriminative stimuli which in the past have been associated with eating. - these discriminative stituational stimuli thus serve as cues to eat, so that is what we tend to do in their presence - such cues can be external ( watch TV, listening music, socializing or relax) or internal ( when feeling lonely, depressed, anxious, happy). - Behavioral treatment aims to bring eating behavior back under appriopiate stimulus control (eating only at mealtimes and always in the dining room).

Overall what is operant conditioning about?

Human behavior that is VOLUNTARY ** - We are conditioned by the environment. - behavior leads to consequence which can be external (reward or punish) or internal (drink too much so feel bad). ** a type of learning in which behavior is either increased or decreased as a function of its consequences. NOT INNATE/INVOLUNTARY like classical conditioning. ** Behavior as a function of consequences. ** EXAM - Behavior is increased or decreased as a result of CONSEQUENCES that follow it. - it involves VOLUNTARY behavior

What are THREE factors affecting the effectiveness of reinforcement?

Immediacy- if consequence/ stimuli followed quickly after behavior then more strengthed Consistency- are we reinforcing every time behavior (better to be consistent) Contingiences should be clear ( when the beh is performed a conseq should follow).

What is negative reinforcement in drug theory?

In a physically ** DEPENDENT ** subject the drug also TERMINATES unpleasant withdrawal effects therby STRENGTHENING the drug taking behavior.

Example of phobia: CS- crowd US- child lost in crowd UR/CR: fear/anxiety Why if the US never again paired with CS why does CS/CR bond NOT disappear or extinguish? (in Pavlov if didnt give meat the CS was no longer predictor of biological significance).

In most cases does HOWEVER OPERANT conditioning plays a part in MAINTAINING phobias. - In the above example: as the individual approaches the anxiety provoking situation CS her anxiety begins to increase - when the anxiety becomes so great that she cant tolerate it she leaves the CS or crowd and DECREASE anxiety (thus the aversive stimulus is removed) - thus the retreat is an AVOIDANCE behavior that is NEGATIVELY REINFORCED bc it results in the termination of an aversive stimlus (anxiety) * in the future the individual will tend to AVOID the CS (crowd) completely as means of avoiding the anxiety. Such avoidance behavior is thus NEGATIVELY REINFORCED and will be repeated so this MAINTAINS the phobia. - Accordingly IT DOES NOT EXTINGUISH and PHOBIAS ARE RESISTANT to logic/cognitive approach. -one hypothesis states that bc avoid the brain never LEARNS that the US not follow the CS so extinction does NOT occur. - treatment EXPOSURE therapy.

What does contigency mean?

NEED CONTIGENCY IN OPERANT CONDITIONING! ** - the reinforcement is contigent upon performance of the behavior. DEPENDS on the behavior being peformed. (when I peck this I get a reward).

What are obsessions and what are compulsions?

Obsessions are recurrent and persistent thoughts impulses and images that INCREASE anxiety - Compulsions are repetitve, behaviors that DECREASE anxiety and perform in response to obessesion. ** negative reinforcement. ** by wash hands remove bad anxiety so do again. bc this is avoidance of prob every time this happens wash hands to avoid anxiety. * The compulsive behavior are considered to be avoidance behaviors bc by doing so reduce anxiety associated with thoughts and thus behavior is negatively reinforced. Such behaviors tend to be repeated. Treatment for OCD ** Exposure and Ritual/response prevention.

** EXAM ** What is the definition of operant extinction?

Occurs when reinforcement is consistently WITHELD following a previously reinforced behavior. (no pigeon pecks but no corn). - get weakening and eventual elimination of that behavior.

What are primary and secondary reinforcers and punishers?

Primary reinforcers are NATURALLY reinforcing (food, water, sex drugs and primary punishers are naturally punishing- shock and pain. Secondary (or CONDITIONED) reinforcers/punishers acquire their reinforcing/punishhing ability through LEARNING (applause, F on exam, money)

Which model countered behaviorism and stated that behavior was the result of unconcsious process?

Psychodynamic/ psychoanalytic.

ON EXAM: For habitual drug users (DO CONSTANTLY) that use heroin what explains it?

REINFORCEMENT theory ** explains it.

What is a potential problem with primary reinforcers and punishers?

Satiation- With some reinforcers especially primary (food) we can get "too much of a good thing" and get tired from it after a while. - now no longer a effective reinforcer. *solution- better to use secondary

What is shaping?

Shaping- creating new behaviors through reinforcing (positive) SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATIONS of the desired behavior. ex: kid with Down Syndrome who want to clean up toy.. 1st if kid touch toy give candy then change parameter... if hold it another candy (slowly make progress) and guide them to what want to do.

Phobias: Two factor theory what is it?

States that initially to get a phobia NEED classical conditioning then operant conditioning to maintain it.

EXAM ** True or false: - a doctors praise can be powerful positive reinforcement in encouraging treatment compliance or in changing unhealthly lifestyle behaviors such as smoking. HOWEVER in the case of SSD a doc attention can ALSO be a strong reinforcer of REPEATED AND UNECESSARY pt visits to the clinic. Better to see such pt on a REGULAR schedule regardless whether symptomatic or not so that do not UNINTENTIONALLY REINFORCE such uncessary visits.

TRUE

True or false: According to the behaviorists, too LITTLE positive reinforcement results in depression the individual is UNABLE to secure adequate life rewards from her/his environment.- learned helplessness.

TRUE

True or false: Classical conditioning plays an important role in ACQUISTION of the phobia and OPERANT conditioning plays an important role in MAINTEANCE of phobia.

TRUE

True or false: Intermittent reinforcement may be delivered on either an interval or ratio schedule.

TRUE

True or false: OCD is another disorder that involves avoidance conditioning and negative reinforcement.

TRUE

True or false: Phobias may be ACQUIRED through classical conditioning.

TRUE

True or false: Superstitious behavior is accidental conditioning and it is when reinforcement occurs RANDOMLY

TRUE

True or false: BOTH positive and negative reinforcement play an important role in drug use and dependence involving psychoactive drugs. This is called the REINFORCEMENT THEORY

TRUE Classical conditioning was more brain association CS (env) with drug etc.

True or false: For operant conditioning it is ALL THE ENVIRONMENT

TRUE ** the human behavior is determined by the environment/consequence which controls behavior again.

Give a simple medical example about negative reinforcement.

The behavior of seeking medical attention when one is in pain, ill, or anxious is negative reinforced when it results in the alleviation of these aversive unpleasant states. Such behavior is more likely to be repeated in the future. ( go to doc with pain and once go to him the pain goes away) is negative reinforcement.

Explain Stimulus Control

Whether a PREVIOUSLY REINFORCED BEHAVIOR is actually performed may depend on the presence of certain stimuli in the environment these cues are now called discrimative stimuli. (SDs) - discriminative stimuli are EVERYWHERE in life they are simply environmental cues that have in the past been associated with the performance of certain behaviors -When we encounter the SD we are more likely to perform those behaviors such cues PREDICT REWARD. - For example recall discussion of substance use drug user more likely to use in the presence of CS (which are acting as discriminative stimuli) - When a reinforced behavior is performed only under certain environmental conditions we say that the behavior is under STIMULUS control.

What is the Law of Effect:

behavior followed by + consequence will be repeated more behavior followed by - consequence will not be repeated

Who was BF skinner and what is radical behaviorism

founder of behavioral aspect of psychology and of operant conditioning worked with pigeons. - radical beh: thoughts or cognitiion not matter . however we now use CBT which is a COMBINED approach.

What is positive reinforcement in drug theory?

some drugs = powerful reinforcers chemically and strengthen drug taking behavior. when use drug feel good.