Free operant method - ANSWER A method in which an organism may repeatedly
respond over an extended period of time
The organism is "free" to emit many responses or none at all. More accurately
responses can be made without interference by the experimenter (as in trials
procedure)
Operant class - ANSWER Responses with the same consequences comprise an operant
(or response) class.
ex.) The response class of turning on the light has many variation in form.
Operant rate - ANSWER The number of responses that occur in a given interval
ex.) a bird may peck a key for food 2 times per second, or a student may do math
problems at the rate of 10 problems per hour.
Operant conditioning - ANSWER An increase or decrease in operant response as a
function of the consequences that have followed the response.
Operant - ANSWER Behavior that operates on the environment to produce a change,
effect, or consequence.
Operant variability - ANSWER Operant behavior becomes increasingly more variable as
extinction precedes.
Elicited (behavior) - ANSWER Respondent (CR) and reflexive (UR) behavior is elicited in
,the sense that the behavior is made to occur by the presentation of a stimulus (CS or
US)
- CS ot US elicit responses (respondent)
** only use when talking about RESPONDENT BEHAVIOR
ex.) "The CS elicited the response.
Topography - ANSWER The physical form or characteristic of the response.
ex.) a rat presses lever with left paw, the hind foot, etc.
Repertoire (of behavior)- ANSWER All the behavior that an organism is capable of
emitting on the basis of species and environmental history.
Extinction- ANSWER Withholding reinforcement for previously reinforced behavior.
-operation/procedure
Decrease in previously reinforced behavior when reinforcement no longer occurs.
-when responding returns to previous baseline levels, it is said to be extinct.
Contingent response - ANSWER In the response-deprivation hypothesis the contingent
response is the activity obtained by making the instrumental response, as in
contingency if activity A occurs (instrumental response) than the opportunity to engage
in activity B (contingent response) occurs.
Discriminated extinction - ANSWER A low rate of operant behavior that occurs as a
function of an S delta
,ex.) the probability of putting coins in a vending machine with an "out of order" sign on it
is very low.
Behavior variability - ANSWER The tendency of an animal to emit variations in response
form in a given situation
- range of behavioral variation is related to animals capabilities based on genetic
endowment degree of neuroplasticity, and previous interactions with environment.
Response-deprivation - ANSWER Organisms work to gain access to activities that are
restricted/withheld (deprivation), presumably to reinstate free-choice levels of behavior
- more general than premack principle, predicting when any activity (high or low in rate)
will function as reinforcement .
Response differentation - ANSWER When response is contingent on some difference in
response proporties, that form of response will increase.
Operant chamber - ANSWER laboratory enclosure or box used to investigate operant
conditioning.
ex.) chambers for rat is a small enclosed box that typically contains a lever with a light
above it connected to an external feeder.
Instrumental response - ANSWER The behavior that produces the opportunity to engage
in some activity
Force of response - ANSWER Reinforcement can be made contingent on the force or
magnitude of response.
- Force or magnitude is a property or dimension of behavior.
, Differential reinforcement - ANSWER Reinforcing a response in one setting but not the
other.
-Shaping is not the same thing
Reinforcing certain situations.
Contingency of reinforcement - ANSWER 3-term contingency (or 4-term)
Relationship between the occasion, the operant class, and the consequence that follow
behavior.
- We change contingencies by altering one of the components and observing the effect
on behavior.
Ontogenetic selection - ANSWER The selection of operant behavior during the lifetime of
an organism
The process involves operant variability during periods of extinction and selection by
contingencies.
ex.) wild rat that has been exploiting a compost heap may find that the homeowner has
covered it. Emits various operants.
S- delta - ANSWER When an operant does not produce reinforcement, the stimulus that
precedes the operant is called an S-delta.
-In presence of an S-delta the probability of emitting an operant decreases.
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