PSY 419 Learning and Conditioning
Quiz 3 Study Guide (Chapters 5-7)
Chapter 5 – Instrumental Conditioning: Foundations
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What is instrumental behavior? What are the synonyms for
“instrumental behavior” and “instrumental conditioning?”
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Operant Behavior…response-stimulus behavior..bx that produces a
response that alters the probability of that response occurring again in future
similar circumstances
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Who formulated the law of effect and how did he study it?
Describe the law of effect.
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Thorndike: Learning is faster and faster after multiple exposition to
similar circumstances….cat and box experiment
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What are the characteristics of discrete trial procedures? What are
the characteristics of free operant procedures? What are the differences?
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each trial ends with the removal of the organism from training
environment
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inst. response is only performed once per trial
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maze and thorndike box's are discrete trials
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operant?
What is an operant? What is the defining characteristic of an
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operant response: a class of responses that is defined by the effect
that all members of the class have on theenvironment.
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What is the definition of shaping? When should one use a shaping
procedure? Describe, step by step, how you would use shaping to teach a child
who only makes grunting noises to ask for candy by saying “candy.”
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special application of + reinforcement
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systematically reinforcing successive approximations to a desired
instrumental response
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What is a reinforcer (appetitive stimulus)? How do we objectively
determine whether or not an event, stimulus, object, or condition is a reinforcer?
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increases or maintains rate of some response...
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What is an aversive stimulus? How do we objectively determine
whether or not an event, stimulus, object, or condition is an aversive stimulus?
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Provide a technical definition for positive and negative
reinforcement. Be able to identify and provide laboratory and real-life examples
of each. How are positive and negative reinforcement different? How are they the
same?
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Positive: a relation where there is a positive contingency btw the
instrumental response and the presentation of a reinforcing stimulus:
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negative: the removal of an aversive stimulus tat increases or
maintains a certain bx
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Provide a technical definition for positive and negative
punishment. Be able to identify and provide real-life examples of each. How are
positive and negative punishment different? How are they the same?
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positive pun: btw the instrumental response and the presentation of
an aversive stimulus
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negative: the removal of a reinforcer
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What is the difference between escape and avoidance behavior?
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escape: terminate or reduce
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avoid: avoid aversive stimuli
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What is omission training (or differential reinforcement of other
behavior; DRO)? Describe how you would use omission training to decrease a
student’s talking out in class.
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+ reinforcement can be used to eliminate undesirable. child
speaking out of turn example
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What is positive contrast? What is negative contrast?
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effectiveness of a US is in part dependent on how suprising the
appearance of a US is. + = 9.50 -> 12.50…. - is opposite
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What happens to the relative efficacy of a reinforcer for a
particular response as the delay between the response and the delivery of the
reinforcer is increased?
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efficacy of the reinforcer is reduced
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What is a conditioned reinforcer? Provide a human example.
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unconditioned = food water sex… conditioned= something like
money
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Describe Skinner’s classic superstition experiment. Provide an
example of what might be considered superstitious behavior in humans and
explain how past occurrences of adventitious reinforcement might have led to the
superstitious behavior.
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pigeons bxing when reinforcements come no matter what
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Describe the experimental procedure used to demonstrate learned
helplessness. What is the main outcome of the procedure?
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dogs, 3 conditions. one shack, 1 shock but can escape, 1 no shock
but can't escape
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dogs in the shock and inescapable measure learn to take a shock
when escape measures are introduces
Chapter 6 – Schedules of Reinforcement and Choice Behavior
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Provide the definition of a schedule of reinforcement. What is the
difference between continuous and intermittent reinforcement?
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Upon what basis are reinforcers delivered on ratio schedules of
reinforcement? Know the definitions for fixed- (FR) and variable-ratio (VR)
schedules of reinforcement. What patterns of responding are produced by each?
Provide a real-life example of behavior maintained on a VR schedule of
reinforcement.
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What is a cumulative record? Be able to read a cumulative record
and determine when responding is occurring rapidly, slowly, or not at all.
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Upon what basis are reinforcers delivered on interval schedules of
reinforcement? Know the definitions for fixed- (FI) and variable-interval (VI)
schedules of reinforcement. What patterns of responding are produced by each?
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What is a concurrent schedule of reinforcement?
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What is the basic principle of the matching law? What is
overmatching? What is undermatching?
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matching?
What is the difference between molar and molecular accounts of
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What is self-control from a behavioral perspective? What is
impulsivity from a behavioral perspective?
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What is a small but cumulatively significant outcome? Provide a
human example.
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What is the basic principle of the value discounting function?
Chapter 7 – Instrumental Conditioning: Motivational Mechanisms
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What is the Premack principle? Using the Premack principle, be
able to determine which activities will function as reinforcers for a particular
organism at particular times.
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What is the response deprivation hypothesis? According to this
theory, how is access to a particular activity established as reinforcing?
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What are the basic assumptions of behavioral regulation theory?
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What is the behavioral bliss point as assumed by behavioral
regulation theory?
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What is the difference between associative theories of instrumental
conditioning and behavioral regulation theories of instrumental conditioning?