Category 1
What is the process by which a behavior increases in likelihood because it is followed by a reinforcer?
Reinforcement
What are environmental events that temporarily alter the effectiveness of a reinforcer and the frequency of related behavior?
Motivating Operations
Spencer must sell five cars before receiving a commission bonus. His performance pattern shows a pause after each bonus, then rapid responding. What schedule is this?
Fixed Ratio (FR) — reinforcement occurs after a set number of responses.
What process occurs when a previously reinforced behavior no longer produces reinforcement, leading to a decrease in behavior?
Extinction
What is the process in which a behavior decreases because it is followed by a punishing consequence?
Punishment
Spencer sells five cars and then receives a bonus from his employer. As a result, his car sales increase over time. What type of reinforcement is this?
Positive Reinforcement — a stimulus (bonus) is given following behavior, increasing its future likelihood.
A child has not eaten all day. Food becomes a powerful reinforcer, and food-seeking behaviors increase. What operation is present?
Establishing Operation (EO) — deprivation makes the reinforcer more effective.
A gambler pulls a slot machine lever and wins after an unpredictable number of plays. The behavior remains steady and resistant to extinction. What schedule is this?
Variable Ratio (VR) — reinforcement after a changing number of responses.
A dog was previously reinforced with treats for sitting on command. When treats are no longer given, the dog’s sitting behavior decreases. What process is this?
Extinction
During recess, Ezra throws sand at peers, and the aide removes him from playtime for three minutes. Sand-throwing decreases. What type of procedure is this?
Negative Punishment — a reinforcing condition (playtime) is removed, decreasing the behavior.
A student studies before an exam to avoid feeling anxious, and studying behavior increases. What type of reinforcement is this?
Negative Reinforcement — an aversive stimulus (anxiety) is removed, increasing studying.
After eating several pieces of candy, a child no longer works for candy. The reinforcer’s effectiveness decreases. What operation is this?
Abolishing Operation (AO) — satiation makes the reinforcer less effective.
An employee receives a paycheck every two weeks, regardless of daily effort. What schedule is this?
Fixed Interval (FI) — reinforcement after a fixed amount of time.
When extinction begins, the individual briefly shows a sudden increase in the behavior’s frequency or intensity. What is this called?
Extinction Burst
A clinic charges clients a $50 fee for missed appointments. After being charged $50, a client's missed appointments decrease. What type of punishment is this?
Positive Punishment — an aversive stimulus (fee) is given, decreasing the behavior.
A child cleans their room and their parent stops nagging. The child cleans more frequently in the future. What type of reinforcement is this?
Negative Reinforcement — an aversive condition (nagging) is removed, increasing cleaning.
Explain how an Establishing Operation affects both the reinforcer and the behavior that produces it.
It increases the reinforcer’s effectiveness and evokes the behavior that has produced that reinforcer in the past.
A person checks for new emails and occasionally finds one, but not at predictable times. What schedule is this?
Variable Interval (VI) — reinforcement after unpredictable time intervals.
After extinction, a previously reduced behavior temporarily reappears when the situation is similar to when it was reinforced. What is this called?
Spontaneous Recovery
A teacher yells at a student for talking out of turn, and talking decreases. What type of punishment is this?
Positive Punishment — an aversive stimulus (reprimand) is given, decreasing behavior.
When an Establishing Operation is present, what happens to the likelihood of behavior that produces the reinforcer?
The behavior increases because the reinforcer becomes more effective.
Why might a reinforcer be effective for one person but not another?
Due to individual differences in motivational variables and reinforcement history.
Which schedule produces the highest and most stable response rate and is most resistant to extinction?
Fixed and Variable Ratio (VR)
What two factors make extinction most effective?
Consistency in withholding reinforcement and consideration of reinforcement history.
Kaia the dachshund pees on the floor, and her mom immediately removes her from her play room (with toys) to an empty room for "time out". Kaia's accidents decrease in the house after this conditioning occurs for 2 weeks. What type of conditioning is this?
Negative punishment.