CHAPTER 9 PROBE QUESTIONS:
-P.166
1. -What are unlearned reinforcers?
o Reinforcers for which the person is born with the capacity for that
stimulus or event to reinforce their behavior.
-P.167
2. Why do we use deprivation?
o Deprivation at the time of reinforcement increases the impact the delivery
of a single reinforcer has on the subsequent frequency of the reinforced
response-LEARNING
o Deprivation at the time to perform that response increases the frequency of
that previously reinforced and thus previously learned responsePERFORMANCE.
o (Note that performance means performance of previously reinforced
response prior to reinforcement of the present instance of response).
-P.168
3. -What is meant by relevant learning and performance?
o LEARNING OF A RESPONSE REINFORCED BY THAT
REINFORCER AND PERFORMANCE OF A RESPONSE
PREVIOUSLY REINFORCED BY THAT REINFORCER.
4. -How does satiation alter the effectiveness of a reinforcer (food) and therefore,
how does it affect learning and performance?
o FOOD WON’T ACT AS AN EFFECTIVE REINFORCER TO
PRODUCE MORE LEARNING AND ALSO RAT WILL LESS
FREQUENTLY PERFORM THE RESPONSE THAT HAS
PREVIOUSLY PRODUCED THAT FOOD.
5. -Are the satiating effects of food permanent?
o NO (also, even though will learn less when satiated, whatever did learn is
probably more or less permanent. Meaning what has been learned doesn’t
just “wear off” depending on satiation level)
o The greater the deprivation the more effective the reinforcer
6. -Why would you want to use small-sized amounts of the reinforcer rather than
large?
o WANT TO HAVE AS MANY LEARNING TRIALS AS POSSIBLE,
BEFORE THE EFFECTS OF SATIATION SET IN. (why we use small
drops with the rats in the lab)
-P.170
7. -Can anyone provide some examples of EOs
o Deprivation, satiation, heavy exercise, high temperature, consumption of
salt, sleep deprivation, illness, allergies, menses
8. -Do Satiation and Deprivation apply to aversive conditions?
o NO, you can not satiate or become deprived of shock (the relevant EO for
an aversive condition is simply turning on (presenting) the aversive
condition-shock.
o EO same as before condition, no need for separate diagram)
-P.172-173
9. -Can someone provide some examples that are unlearned reinforcers naturally
associated with food:
o SIGHT, SOUND, TASTE, SMELL
-P.173
10. -What is the biologically important reason for orienting towards sights and
sounds?
o IT HELPS ANIMALS/HUMANS TO AVOID INJURY AND
DEATH (TO SURVIVE)
11. -What are the two types of unlearned reinforcers?
o THOSE THAT EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY CAUSE
BIOLOGICAL BENEFITS
o DIRECT: food and water/predator bite and spoiled food
o INDIRECT: sight, sounds, smells, and tastes/ shadow of hawk,
loud noise, or taste and odor of spoiled food
-P.175
12. -Can someone describe an example in the book that talks about the Premack
Principle:
o TEACHER: disrupting was more reinforcing than sitting and
listening to the teacher and used those activities that occurred at a
high frequency as reinforcers for activities that occurred at a low
rate.
o MONKEYS: used four activities: pushing a lever, pulling a
plunger, flapping a hinge, and opening and closing a door.