PSYC 181/281
Fall 2006
Unit 8
1
Unit 8 – Operant-Respondent interrelationships
1. One stimulus may have more than one function. Learn the “dog example” on page 183,
1-2. 1) Be able to state what the two functions of the command “sit” are and 2) be able
to explain how these functions were developed.
2. How are operants and respondents defined? Give the example of the key peck (184,2)
3. What does it mean to say that “respondent procedures are embedded in operant
contingencies”? The answer is in the beginning of the paragraph (184,3).
4. What is instinctive drift? What is the problem with this concept? (185,5).
5. Read the report by Breland and Breland (185, 2-4). This report is widely used in
Introductory Psychology books to undermine the power of operant conditioning
(lecture). As a behavior analyst how would you explain the failure to condition the
raccoons to manipulate coins (185,6- 186,0). That supports my theory that if people new
more about behavior analysts they would criticize less.
6. What are the two functions of the sound in the sign tracking procedure? What behaviors
does the sound evoke? (186,1-3). What does sign tracking mean? (187,0)
7. Autoshaping was the name given for an automatic way of teaching pigeons to peck a key
in an experimental chamber. This is usually done by turning a key light on for several
seconds (say 5-8 seconds) and then presenting food. After some pairings, the pigeons
move and orient towards the lighted key, and finally start pecking it. A possible
explanation for the development of this behavior (the pecking response) is based on
respondent conditioning (188, 2). However, the pecking may also become an operant
response since it starts to be reliably followed by grain (a positive reinforcer) (187,1)). Be
able to 1) define autoshaping, 2) describe the procedure, 3) give the respondent
explanation and 4) explain how pecking an operant response becomes. GRADUTE
STUDENTS SHOULD BE READY TO DESCRIBE THE AUTOSHAPING
EXPERIMENTS TO THE OTHER STUDENTS IN THE CLASS.
8. What is omission training? Why was it used? (189,3-4)
9. Describe the stimulus-substitution theory (191, 3). What is the alternative proposed by
Timberlake? (192,1-2).
10. What conclusions can be drawn from the Miller experiments described on 193-194?
(answer is in 194,3)
11. What do the authors mean by preparedness? (196,1). Read the description of the
experiments conducted by Garcia to better understand this notion (196-197).
PSYC 181/281
Fall 2006
Unit 8
2
12. Some of the characteristics of conditioned taste aversion in humans are 1) Long CSUS delays, 2) aversion forms based on taste of food, 3) CS usually precede the US, 4)
aversion generalizes to foods that are similar in taste, 5) aversions are likely to be formed
to less preferred/less familiar foods and 6) they can be acquired even if the person is
convinced that the food did not cause the aversion. Memorize the characteristics of taste
aversion conditioning.
13. Define interim or adjunctive behavior (199,1 and 2 , also footnote)
14. Read the sections on pages 202-204. I will discuss activity anorexia in lecture. No
specific objective.