Module 20. Operant Conditioning

According to B. F. Skinner's operant conditioning principles, which is NOT an effective way to change the behavior of others? -Stop reinforcing the behavior one wants to decrease. -Model or demonstrate the desired behavior. -Positively reinforce the behavior one wants to increase. -Reinforce an incompatible behavior.

Model or demonstrate the desired behavior.

Which statement is false with respect to operant conditioning? -In operant conditioning, the consequences that strengthen behavior are called reinforcers. -Operant conditioning involves respondent behavior. -In operant conditioning, actions are associated with their consequences. -Operant conditioning is a form of associative learning.

Operant conditioning involves respondent behavior

Which statement reflects classical rather than operant conditioning? -The basic idea is that an organism learns an association between a behavior and its consequences. -Generalization refers to the tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus. -Discrimination entails learning that some responses will be reinforced but that others will not be reinforced. -In extinction, responding stops when reinforcement is no longer provided.

Generalization refers to the tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus.

The intellectual heritage of operant conditioning reflects the influence of _____ on _____.

Thorndike; Skinner

Checking one's postal mailbox is generally reinforced on a _____ schedule, because the mail only comes once per day at about the same time.

fixed-interval

Daniel's daughter repeatedly hit her playmates during their game of tag. Daniel denied her dessert as a consequence. This is an example of _____ punishment.

negative

_____ reinforcement involves the removal of an aversive stimulus after a response. It serves to strengthen the response.

negative

_____ conditioning is a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher.

operant

If children get attention for doing cartwheels, they will repeat the trick if they find this attention to be enjoyable. This BEST illustrates: -operant conditioning. -spontaneous recovery. -respondent behavior. -latent learning.

operant conditioning

Jennifer trained her dog to howl when he heard Jennifer play the piano by giving him a treat for doing so. One day in her car, Jennifer played a CD of a piano concerto and her dog began to howl. The dog learned to howl through _____ and also demonstrated _____ of a learned response.

operant conditioning; generalization

Marcus owns a landscaping company and employs several college students in the summer. He would like to improve the productivity of his employees. According to research on improving job performance through operant conditioning, Marcus should: -give rewards that are delayed, not immediate. -reward specific, achievable behaviors, not vaguely defined merit. -set challenging goals that are impossible to reach so that employees will give more effort. -use clearly defined punishment as a way of instilling responsibility in the workplace.

reward specific, achievable behaviors, not vaguely defined merit.

Pop quizzes and random checks of quality help to produce slow, steady responding and are examples of the _____ schedule of reinforcement.

variable-interval