PSYC 2440

4 Qualities a Reinforcer Should Have

1. Be readily available 2. Can be presented immediately following behaviour 3. Can be used repeatedly without rapid satiation 4. Do take long to consume

5 Areas of Application Within Health Psychology

1. Direct treatment of medical problems 2. Establishing treatment compliance

Two Dimensions of Behaviour

1. Duration 2. Intensity

Seven Characteristics of Behaviour Modification

1. Emphasis on defining problems in terms of behaviour that can be measured 2. Treatment procedures and techniques are ways to alter an individual's current environment 3. Its methods and rationales can be described precisely 4. The techniques are often applied be individuals in everyday life 5. The techniques that stem from research in the science of learning in general 6. Emphasis on scientific demonstration 7. Places high value on accountability for everyone involved

3 Characteristic Effects of an FR Schedule

1. High steady rate until reinforcement, followed by post reinforcement pause 2. Length of pause depends on the value of the FR 3. Produce high resistance to extinction

3 Stages of Shaping

1. Identify final target behaviour 2. Identify a starting point response 3. Reinforce starting behaviour, and alter it step-by-step until the final target behaviour occurs

2 Parts to the Principle of Operant Excinction

1. If an individual emits a previously reinforced behaviour that is not followed by a reinforcer 2. Then that person is less likely to do the same thing again when encountering a similar situation

4 Behaviours of Children with Autism That Have Been Modified Successfully

1. Impaired social skills 2. Impaired communication skills 3. Repetitive self-stimulatory behaviours 4. Caring for themselves (hygienically)

Respondent Conditioning's other two names

1. Pavlovian Conditioning 2. Classical Conditioning ex. Pair neutral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus NS: Sound of classical music US: Food in mouth —> UR (salivation) Result: Neutral stimulus acquires ability to elicit response CS (sound of classical music) —> CR (salivation)

4 Major Categories of Teacher-Behaviour Prompts

1. Physical guidance 2. Gestures 3. Modeling 4. Verbal

4 Advantages of Intermittent Reinforcement Over Continuous

1. Satiation is slower 2. Takes longer to extinguish 3. More consistent 4. More likely to persist in natural environment

4 Behaviours in the Area of Self-Management

1. Self-management 2. Self-control 3. Self-adjustment 4. Self-modification

Why do you need to be specific in selecting the behaviour to increase?

1. To help ensure the reliability of detected instance of the behaviour and changes in its frequency. 2. Increase to likelihood that the reinforcement program will be applied consistently.

2 Pitfalls of Conditioned Reinforcement

1. Unaware Misapplication Pitfall 2. Partial-Knowledge-Misapplication Pitfall

2 Operant Extinction Pitfalls

1. Unaware-Misapplication Pitfall Those who don't know about extinction are apt to apply it unknowingly. 2. Partial-Knowledge Pitfall Those less knowledgable may undo work.

4 Myths About Behaviour Modification

1. Using rewards is bribery 2. Involves drugs and electroconvulsive therapy 3. Outdated 4. Can't use for complex problems

3 Strategies to Help Individuals Use Prompts Independently

1. Written task analysis 2. Picture prompts 3. Self-instructions

Forgetting

A behaviour that is weakened from the function of time.

Simple Conditioned Reinforcer

A conditioned reinforcer that is paired with a single backup reinforcer.

Behavioural Excess

A problem when there is too much behaviour of a particular type.

Behavioural Deficit

A problem whenthere is too little behaviour of a particular type.

Token Economy

A program in which individuals can earn tokens for specific behaviours and cash in their tokens for backup reinforcers.

Fixed-Duration (FD) Schedule

A reinforcer is presented only if a behaviour occurs continuously for a fixed period of time.

Variable Ratio Schedule

A reinforcer occurs after a certain number of a particular responses and the number of responses required for each reinforcer changes unpredictably from one to the next.

Fixed Ration (FR) Schedule

A reinforcer occurs each time a fixed number of responses of a particular type are emitted.

Schedule of Reinforcement

A rule specifying which occurrences of a given behaviour, if any, will be reinforced

DRO

A schedule in which a reinforcer is presented only if a specified response does not occur during a specified period of time.

DRL

A schedule of reinforcement in which a reinforcer is presented only if particular responses occur at a low rate.

Stimulus Equivalence Class

A set of completely dissimilar stimuli that an individual has learned to group or match together or respond to in the same way.

Natural Environment

A setting in which an individual carries out normal, everyday functions.

Generalized Conditioned Reinforcer

A stimulus that is paired with more than one kind of backup reinforcer

Operant Conditioning

A type of learning in which behaviour is modified by its consequence . (ex. not touch hot stove because of pain)

Within-Stimulus Prompt

A variation of the SD or SΔ to make their characteristics more notice able and therefore easier to discriminate.

Intermittent Reinforcement

An arrangement in which a behaviour is positively reinforced only occasionally rather than every time it occurs.

Positive Reinforcer

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

Contingency

An if-then type of arrangement. ex. if you press the button on a water fountain, then water comes out.

Extinction Burst

An increase in responding during extinction.

Total-Task Presentation Chaining Method

An individual attempts all of the steps from beginning to the end of the chain on each trial and continues with total task trials until that person learns the chain 1. The learner attempts every step on the trial 2. Instructor provides prompts and praise for all unmastered steps 3. A reinforcer is presented following the last step 4. Training continues in this way until it is all mastered

Dimension of a Stimulus

Any characteristic that can be measured on some continuum.

Behaviour (Technically)

Any muscular, glandular, or electrical activity of an organism.

Behaviour (Generally)

Anything a person says or does.

Continuous Reinforcement (CRF)

Arrangement in which each instance of a particular response is reinforced.

Adventitious Reinforcement

Behaviour that is accidentally followed by a reinforcer that may be increased even if it did not actually produce the reinforcer.

Respondent Behaviours

Behaviours elicited by prior stimuli and are not affected by their consequences (ex. salivating when you smell dinner)

Operant Behaviours

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

Fixed-Interval Schedule with Limited Hold Schedule Example

Bus stop, it will come, if you don't get on it will leave without you.

Tokens

Conditioned reinforcers that can be accumulated and exchanged for backup reinforcers.

Health Psychology

Considers how psychologists factors can influence or cause illness and how people can be encouraged to practice healthy behaviour as to prevent health problems.

Behaviour Sequence Chain vs. Non-Chain

Continuous steps vs. breaks in between action

Difference Between DRI and DRA

DRI — decrease a target response by withholding reinforcers for it and by reinforcing an incompatible behaviour response. DRA — a procedure that involves the extinction of a problem behaviour combined with reinforcing a behaviour that is topographically dissimilar to, but not necessarily incompatible with, the problem behaviour.

Operant Extinction

Extinction weakened behaviour as a result of being emitted without being reinforced.

What did BF Skinner do for behaviour modification?

He distinguished the difference between Pavlovian conditioning and operant conditioning.

The Principle of a Positive Reinforcer

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 situation

Direct-Acting Effect

Increased frequency of a response because of its immediate reinforcing consequences.

Setting

Is important because it removes the possibility of other things of people reinforcing the behaviour.

Types of Target Behaviour Established by... Shaping

New behaviour along some physical dimension such as typography, amount or intensity.

Types of Target Behaviour Established by... Chaining

New consistent sequence of stimuli responses.

Types of Target Behaviour Established by... Fading

New stimulus control of a particular behaviour.

How a DRO Might Be Useful in Treating a Behaviour Problem

Nurse and patient not scratching every two minutes = token for redeemable reinforcers.

What is the key to ensuring ethical and effective treatment programs?

Ongoing evaluation and monitoring of data.

Aversion Therapy

Pairing something unpleasant with an undesirable behaviour, with the goal of decreasing the undesirable behaviour. (ex. drinking — nausea)

Positive vs. Negative Reinforcement

Positive increases behaviour, whereas negative decreases behaviour.

Biological Preparerdness

Refers to the predisposition of members of a species to be more readily conditioned to some neutral stimuli as CSs than to others.

Programmed Reinforcers

Reinforcers that are arranged systematically by profressionals.

Natural Reinforcers

Reinforcers that follow behaviour in the course of everyday living.

Spaced-Responding DRL

Requires that a specified behaviour not occur during a specified interval, and after the interval has passed, as instance of that behaviour must then occur in order for a reinforcer to occur.

Rule-Governed vs. Contingency-Shaped Behaviour

Rule Based vs Trial and Error

Extra-Stimulus Prompt

Something that is added to the environment to make a correct response more likely.

How DRL Would Be Useful in Treating a Behaviour Problem

Space-responding DRL to decrease the eating rate of three individuals with profound developmental disabilities who at their meals at such a rapid rate that it was considered unhealthy.

Limited-Responding DRL

Specifies a a maximum allowable number of responses during a certain time interval in order for a reinforcer to occur.

Unconditioned Reinforcer

Stimuli we do not have prior learning of.

Indirect-Acting Effect

Strengthening of a response that is followed by a reinforcer even though the reinforcer is delayed.

Forward Chaining Method

Teaches the initial step fo the sequence first, then teaches and links together the first and second steps, and the first three steps and so on until the entire chain is acquired 1. Starting with the last step, it must be mastered before proceeding to the next-to-last step 2. The instructor provides prompts for the step that is being taught 3. On each trial, all previously mastered steps are required, and the last step is followed by a reinforcer 4. In this way, one step is learned at a time, progressing backward to the first

Shaping is also known as...

The Method of Successive Approximations

Organizational Behaviour Management (OBM)

The application of behavioural principles and methods to the study and controls of individual or group behaviour with organizational settings.

Behavioural Community Psychology

The applications to socially significant problems in unstructured community settings where the behaviour of individuals is not considered deviant in the traditional setting.

Superstitious Behaviour

The behaviour increased in adventitious reinforcement.

Satiation

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

Shaping

The development of a new operant behaviour by the reinforcement of successive approximations of that behaviour and the extinction of earlier approximations of that behaviour until the new behaviour occurs.

Fading

The gradual change over successive trials of an stimulus that controls a response. The response eventually occurs to a partially changed or completely new stimulus

Discrete-Trials Procedure

The individual is not "free" to response at whatever rate they choose because the environment places limits on the availability of response opportunities.

Free-Operant Procedure

The individuals are "free" to respond at various rates in the sense that there are no constraints on successive responses.

Backward Chaining Method

The last step is taught first, then the next-to-last step is taught and linked to the last step, and then third-from-last-step is taught and linked to the last two steps and so on, progressing backward toward the beginning of the chain. 1. Starting with the first one, the step must be mastered before proceeding to the next one 2. The instructor provides prompts and a reinforcer for the step that is being taught 3. On each trial, all previously mastered steps are required 4. In this way, one step is learned a ta time, progressing until the last

Baseline

The measure of the subjects responses on the dependent variable before implementing the experimental manipulation.

Response Rate

The number of instances of behaviour that occur in a given time period

Types of Target Behaviour Established by... Task Analysis

The process of breaking down a task into smaller steps of component responses to facilitate training

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance of an extinguished behaviour following a break.

Non-Contingent Reinforcer

The reinforcer is presented at a particular time regardless of the preceding behaviour.

Frequency of Reinforcement on DRL, DRO, DRI and DRA Is Too Low or Decreased Too Rapidly

The student will learn they get more reinforcement when it performance is at a low rate because the teacher is more impressed with good behaviour.

Behaviour Modification

The systematic application of learning principles and techniques to assess and improve individuals' behaviours in order to enhance their daily functioning.

Deprivation

The time during which an individual does not experience the reinforcer.

Errorless Discrimination Training

The use of a fading procedure to establish a stimulus discrimination is that no errors occur

Behavioural Sport Psychology

The use of behaviour analysis principles and techniques to enhance the performance and satisfaction of athletes and others associated with sports.

Variable-Interval Schedule with Limited Hold Schedule Example

Timer Game: 1-30min checks, if children playing nicely, more TV time

Extinction

Typically quicker after continuous reinforcement as opposed to intermittent.

Respondent Stimulus Discrimination

When a CR (salivation) is made to one stimulus (higher pitched bell) but not to another similar stimulus (lower pitched bell).

Contingent Reinforcer

When a specific behaviour must occur before that reinforcer will be presented.

Respondent Stimulus Generalization

When a stimulus similar to the CS (higher pitched bell) also elicits the CR (salivation), even if it has never been paired with the UCS (food).

Concurrent Schedule of Reinforcement

When each of the two of more behaviours is reinforced on different schedules at the same time.

Operant Behaviour

behaviour that affects the environment to produce consequences, and which is then influenced by those consequences.