All Flashcards
What is Operant Conditioning?
Learning where behaviors are strengthened or weakened based on consequences.
What is the Law of Effect?
Behaviors with good outcomes are more likely to be repeated, those with bad outcomes less likely.
What is Reinforcement?
Any consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior.
What is Punishment?
Any consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior.
What are Primary Reinforcers?
Innately rewarding stimuli like food or water.
What are Secondary Reinforcers?
Learned rewards, such as money or praise.
What is Reinforcement Discrimination?
Responding only to specific stimuli, not others.
What is Reinforcement Generalization?
Responding to similar stimuli as the original reinforced stimulus.
What is Shaping?
Gradually molding behavior by rewarding steps towards the desired behavior.
What is Instinctive Drift?
The tendency for animals to revert to their natural behaviors, even when trained.
What is Superstitious Behavior?
A false connection between a behavior and outcome due to accidental reinforcement.
What is Learned Helplessness?
Learning that one has no control over negative events, leading to a lack of effort.
What is Continuous Reinforcement?
Reinforcement after every correct behavior.
What is Partial Reinforcement?
Reinforcement given intermittently, not after every behavior.
How is positive reinforcement used in dog training?
Giving a dog a treat for performing a desired behavior.
How is negative reinforcement used to treat anxiety?
Taking medication to remove anxious feelings, increasing medication use.
How is positive punishment used in parenting?
Giving a child extra chores for misbehaving.
How is negative punishment used in schools?
Taking away recess time for disruptive behavior.
Give an example of a fixed-interval schedule in everyday life.
Checking the oven frequently when baking, as the cake will only be ready after a certain time.
Give an example of a variable-ratio schedule in gambling.
Slot machines pay out after a random number of plays, keeping people playing.
How can shaping be used to teach a child to write?
Rewarding them for holding a pencil, then for making marks, then for forming letters.
How does learned helplessness relate to depression?
Repeated negative experiences can lead to a belief that one cannot control their environment, contributing to depression.
How can operant conditioning be used to improve workplace safety?
Rewarding employees for following safety protocols and punishing unsafe behaviors.
How can a token economy use operant conditioning?
Earning tokens for good behavior that can be exchanged for rewards.
Compare positive and negative reinforcement.
Both increase behavior; positive reinforcement adds something desirable, negative reinforcement removes something undesirable.
Compare positive and negative punishment.
Both decrease behavior; positive punishment adds something undesirable, negative punishment removes something desirable.
Compare fixed-interval and variable-interval schedules.
Fixed-interval has predictable timing, variable-interval has unpredictable timing; variable-interval produces steadier response rates.
Compare fixed-ratio and variable-ratio schedules.
Fixed-ratio has a set number of responses, variable-ratio has a varying number; variable-ratio produces higher response rates and is more resistant to extinction.
Compare reinforcement and punishment in terms of their effect on behavior.
Reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior, while punishment decreases it.
Compare shaping and chaining.
Shaping reinforces successive approximations of a single behavior. Chaining involves linking together separate behaviors into a sequence.