Learning And Behavior Chapter 5

Front 1

Backward chaining

Back 1

A chaining procedure in which training begins with the last link in the chain and adds preceding links in reverse order.

Front 2

Behavior chain

Back 2

A series of related behaviors, the last of which produces reinforcement.

Front 3

Chaining

Back 3

In operant training, the procedure of establishing a behavior chain.

Front 4

Conditioned reinforcer

Back 4

Any reinforcer that has acquired its reinforcing properties through its association with other reinforcers. Also called conditioned reinforcer. (C’. primary reinforcer.)

Front 5

Contrived reinforcer

Back 5

Any reinforcing event that has been arranged by someone, usually for the purpose of modifying behavior. (C’. natural reinforcer.)

Front 6

CR

Back 6

In continuous reinforcement, the desired behavior is reinforced every single time it occurs. Generally, this schedule is best used during the initial stages of learning in order to create a strong association between the behavior and the response. Once the response if firmly attached, reinforcement is usually switched to a partial reinforcement schedule.

Front 7

Discrete trials procedure

Back 7

An operant training procedure in which performance of a behavior defines the end of a trial. (C’. free operant procedure.)

Front 8

Dopamine

Back 8

One of the brain''s major neurotransmitters and one source of a natural high. It is thought to play an important role in reinforcement.

Front 9

Drive

Back 9

In Hull''s theory of reinforcement, a motivational state (such as hunger) caused by a period of deprivation (as of food).

Front 10

Drive-reduction theory

Back 10

The theory of reinforcement that attributes a reinforcer's effectiveness to the reduction of a drive.

Front 11

Epinephrine

Back 11

An important neurotransmitter that is thought to be important in reinforcement. More commonly known as adrenaline.

Front 12

Equilibrium theory

Back 12

The theory of reinforcement that says a behavior is reinforcing to the extent that the organism has been deprived (relative to its baseline frequency) of performing that behavior.

Front 13

Escape training

Back 13

A reinforcement procedure in which a behavior is followed by the removal of, or a decrease in the intensity of, a stimulus. Sometimes called escape training. (C’. positive reinforcement; punishment.)

Front 14

Escape-avoidance learning

Back 14

A form of negative reinforcement in which the subject first learns to escape, and then to avoid, an aversive.

Front 15

Extinction burst

Back 15

A sudden increase in the rate of behavior during the early stages of extinction.

Front 16

Forward chaining

Back 16

A chaining procedure in which training begins with the first link in the chain and adds subsequent links in order. (C’. backward chaining.)

Front 17

Free operant procedure

Back 17

An operant training procedure in which a behavior may be repeated any number of times. (C’. discrete trials procedure.)

Front 18

Generalized reinforcer

Back 18

Any secondary reinforcer that has been paired with several different reinforcers.

Front 19

Instrumental learning

Back 19

Any procedure in which a behavior becomes stronger or weaker (e.g., more or less likely to occur), depending on its consequences.

Front 20

Law of effect

Back 20

The statement that behavior is a function of its consequences. So called because the strength of a behavior depends on its past effects on the environment. Implicit in the law is the notion that operant learning is an active process because it is usually the behavior of the organism that, directly or indirectly, produces the effect.

Front 21

Motivating operation

Back 21

Anything that establishes conditions that improve the effectiveness of a reinforcer. Also called establishing operation.

Front 22

Natural reinforcer

Back 22

Any reinforcing event that follows automatically (naturally) from a behavior. (C’. contrived reinforcer.)

Front 23

Negative reinforcement

Back 23

A reinforcement procedure in which a behavior is followed by the removal of, or a decrease in the intensity of, a stimulus. Sometimes called escape training. (C’. positive reinforcement; punishment.)

Front 24

Negative reinforcer

Back 24

Any stimulus that, when removed following a behavior, increases or maintains the strength of that behavior.

Front 25

One-process theory

Back 25

The view that avoidance and punishment involve only one procedure—operant learning. (C’. two-process theory.)

Front 26

Operant learning

Back 26

Any procedure in which a behavior becomes stronger or weaker (e.g., more or less likely to occur), depending on its consequences. Also called instrumental learning. See also law of effect.

Front 27

Positive reinforcement

Back 27

A reinforcement procedure in which a behavior is followed by the presentation of, or an increase in the intensity of, a stimulus. Sometimes called reward training, although the term reward is problematic. (C’. negative reinforcement.)

Front 28

Positive reinforcer

Back 28

Any stimulus that, when presented following a behavior, increases or maintains the strength of that behavior.

Front 29

Premack principle

Back 29

The observation that high-probability behavior reinforces low-probability behavior.

Front 30

Primary reinforcer

Back 30

Any reinforcer that is not dependent on another reinforcer for its reinforcing properties. (C’. secondary reinforcer.)

Front 31

Reinforcement

Back 31

The procedure of providing consequences for a behavior that increase or maintain the strength of that behavior. (See positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement; C’. punishment.)

Front 32

Relative value theory

Back 32

Theory of reinforcement that considers reinforcers to be behaviors rather than stimuli and that attributes a reinforcer''s effectiveness to its probability relative to other behaviors.

Front 33

Response deprivation theory

Back 33

The theory of reinforcement that says a behavior is reinforcing to the extent that the organism has been deprived (relative to its baseline frequency) of performing that behavior. Also called equilibrium theory.

Front 34

Resurgence

Back 34

The reappearance during extinction of a previously reinforced behavior.

Front 35

Reward learning

Back 35

Changes in behavior due to positive reinforcement.

Front 36

Reward pathway

Back 36

Formerly reward center, the neural pathways believed to be associated with positive reinforcement. It is thought to be an area in the septal region, the area separating the two cerebral hemispheres and running from the middle of the brain to the frontal cortex (part of the thinking area of the brain).

Front 37

Reward training

Back 37

A reinforcement procedure in which a behavior is followed by the presentation of, or an increase in the intensity of, a stimulus. Sometimes called reward training, although the term reward is problematic. (C’. negative reinforcement.)

Front 38

Satiation

Back 38

A reduction in the effectiveness of a reinforcer due to exposure to or consumption of the reinforcer. Food can be reinforcing when a person is hungry, but it loses some of its effectiveness with each bite.

Front 39

Secondary reinforcer

Back 39

Any reinforcer that has acquired its reinforcing properties through its association with other reinforcers. Also called conditioned reinforcer. (C’. primary reinforcer.)

Front 40

Shaping

Back 40

In operant training, the procedure of reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior.

Front 41

Sidman avoidance procedure

Back 41

An escape avoidance training procedure in which no stimulus regularly precedes the aversive stimulus. Also called unsignaled avoidance. Sign tracking See autoshaping.

Front 42

Task analysis

Back 42

The procedure of identifying the component elements of a behavior chain.

Front 43

Three-term contingency

Back 43

The essential elements of all operant earning, often represented by the letters ABC, for antecedent, behavior, and consequences.

Front 44

Two-process theory

Back 44

The view that avoidance and punishment involve two procedures—Pavlovian and operant learning. (C’. one-process theory.)

Front 45

Unsignaled avoidance

Back 45

An escape avoidance training procedure in which no stimulus regularly precedes the aversive stimulus. Also called unsignaled avoidance. Sign tracking See autoshaping.