When an animal is conditioned to make an operant response to a definitive stimulus is referred to as discrimination training (Gray & Bjorklund, 2014). Herrnstein, Loveland and Cable (1976) argued that comparing the definitive stimuli commonly used in operant conditioning (100 Hz tones, 465 mµ lights) to real natural setting defy concept of responding to a specific stimuli. For example, in natural settings a squirrel will not only respond to acorns similar to the one presented on an image in a controlled lab experiment, the squirrels would respond to all colors and shaped acorns. They generalize the variety of acorns and discriminate other objects within their environment (Herrnstein, Loveland & Cable, 1976). In Herrnstein and others’ discriminative
…show more content…
Behavior analysis use schedules of reinforcement to see if responses to a behavior are reinforced. Responses to reinforcement can be partial or continuous. Observations where the behavior is reinforced on every single response is called a continuous reinforcement schedule (CSF). In contrast, an intermittent schedule of reinforcement (ISF) observes behavior where responses are occasionally or partially …show more content…
The number of responses is routinely high (Miltenberger, 2012). A common example is a Star Chart used in elementary classrooms. Teachers reward students with a star for task completion and good behavior. If a child earns the fixed number of stars, the child will be positively reinforced with a toy from a treasure box. The results from FR schedules varying from 2 to 400 in Fester and Skinner’s experiment generally demonstrated that when a higher fixed number is set, the rate of responding is greater (Fester & Skinner, 1957). This is good news for an elementary teacher with a group of eager minds but, the effects of FI are temporary. Once the reinforcer becomes predictable, the response latency will increase and the effect of the reinforcer is gradual and slowly diminishes or becomes extinct. This is a similar behavior students demonstrate after completing a task to begin another. Their behavior is not as responsive to completing yet another a difficult assignment: there is more work to be done before the next reinforcer (Alloway, Wilson & Graham,
Behavior analysis use schedules of reinforcement to see if responses to a behavior are reinforced. Responses to reinforcement can be partial or continuous. Observations where the behavior is reinforced on every single response is called a continuous reinforcement schedule (CSF). In contrast, an intermittent schedule of reinforcement (ISF) observes behavior where responses are occasionally or partially …show more content…
The number of responses is routinely high (Miltenberger, 2012). A common example is a Star Chart used in elementary classrooms. Teachers reward students with a star for task completion and good behavior. If a child earns the fixed number of stars, the child will be positively reinforced with a toy from a treasure box. The results from FR schedules varying from 2 to 400 in Fester and Skinner’s experiment generally demonstrated that when a higher fixed number is set, the rate of responding is greater (Fester & Skinner, 1957). This is good news for an elementary teacher with a group of eager minds but, the effects of FI are temporary. Once the reinforcer becomes predictable, the response latency will increase and the effect of the reinforcer is gradual and slowly diminishes or becomes extinct. This is a similar behavior students demonstrate after completing a task to begin another. Their behavior is not as responsive to completing yet another a difficult assignment: there is more work to be done before the next reinforcer (Alloway, Wilson & Graham,