Show:
Stimuli & Responses
Reinforcement Schedules
Classical Vs Operant
Reinforcement Vs Punishment
Important People
100
In Pavlov's original experiment with dogs, the meat served as this.
What is the US or Unconditioned Stimulus?
100
Some assembly-line production systems work on this schedule - the worker gets paid for every 10 widgets she makes.
What is a fixed ratio schedule?
100
In order to be able to punish my cat even when I'm not near enough to reach him, I have paired the sound of a clicker with getting squirted with water. Now the sound of the clicker causes him to startle.
What is Classical Conditioning? The click is developing the same aversive properties as the water through Classical Conditioning. The Unconditioned stimulus is the water; the Unconditioned response is the "jump" as in startle. The click starts our as a neutral stimulus, but becomes the Conditioned stimulus capable of producing the Conditioned "jump" response.
100

A trainer pulls up on a dog's collar and commands the dog to "sit". The dog sits, and the trainer releases the tension on the collar.

What is negative reinforcement? R- for the dog for sitting (the aversive tension on the dog's collar goes away when the dog performs the action); it is also R+ for the trainer (the trainer's action of pulling on the collar is rewarded by getting the dog to do what the trainer wanted)

100

He accidentally discovered Classical Conditioning.

Who is Pavlov?

200
As a child, you were playing in the yard one day when a neighbor’s cat wandered over. Your mother (who has a fear of cats) screamed and snatched you into her arms. Her behavior caused you to cry. You now have a fear of cats. What is the CS?
What is the cat?
200
My e-mail account works on this schedule. I sometimes get email every 5 minutes and other times it could be hours between receiving email.
What is a variable interval schedule?
200
In a weight management class, participants earn points for every healthy meal they eat and every period of exercise they complete. Later these points result in refunds of their class fees.
What is Operant Conditioning? The behaviors being conditioned here are healthy eating and regular exercise. The reinforcement is the refund of the fees. So this too is Operant conditioning. The points are a version of a token system since they are exchanged for the refunds later.
200
A puppy jumps on her returning, beloved person. The person says nothing, folds his arms over his chest, and faces the door. The puppy stops jumping and begins barking instead.
What is negative punishment? P- for the puppy for jumping up, R+ for the owner for turning away. (Too bad the pup started barking instead - maybe it's time to reinforce the desired behavior!)
200
My "box" is well known in the world of psychology, but the rats don't like it very much.
Who is Skinner?
300
As a child, you were playing in the yard one day when a neighbor’s cat wandered over. Your mother (who has a fear of cats) screamed and snatched you into her arms. Her behavior caused you to cry. You now have a fear of cats. What is the US?
What is your mother's behavior?
300
Slot machines at casinos work on this schedule, the payoff is random, occuring after an undetermined amount of button pushes.
What is a variable ratio schedule?
300
After the bad car accident we had last year, I cringe and break into a sweat at the sound of squealing brakes.
What is Classical Conditioning? This is Classical conditioning. The cringing, which is an unconditioned response to pain or fear, was produced by the accident and its accompanying pain. That accident was probably preceded by the sound of squealing brakes, which became a conditioned stimulus for the conditioned response of cringing.
300

A dog jumps up on the table and steals a steak. She runs off and eats it. The cook comes back from another room, sees the steak gone, yells, "No" and throws a rolled-up towel at the dog. The dog avoids the counter now and all towels.

What is positive punishment? P+ for the dog because the dog is scared of towels and DOES NOT go on the counter

300

I am a behaviorist who studied poisoned dead sheep to create taste aversions in wolves/coyotes to stop them from decimating the farmer's herds 

Who is John Garcia?

400
As a child, you were playing in the yard one day when a neighbor’s cat wandered over. Your mother (who has a fear of cats) screamed and snatched you into her arms. Her behavior caused you to cry. You now have a fear of cats. What is the CR?
What is your fear today?
400
Paychecks work on this schedule - every two weeks I get one.
What is a fixed interval schedule?
400
When I first start teaching about a concept, I'll praise any answer that is close to the right answer.
What is Operant Conditioning? This describes the process of shaping the operant behavior of answering questions. In shaping you start by reinforcing anything that is close to the final response. Then you gradually require closer and closer approximations before giving a reinforcer. So this is an example of Operant conditioning.
400
While the family is out, the dog jumps up on the table and eats an entire box of fine chocolate truffles that the owner’s uncle had brought. A few hours later, the dog is violently ill all over the owner’s bed. The dog sniffs at food on the table after that doesn’t take any of it.
What is positive punishment? P+ for table-surfing, P+ for owner for leaving chocolate out around an unsuperivsed dog.
400

I am the researcher who conducted the VERY unethical study on how individuals can be classically conditioned to fear objects or animals

Who is John Watson?

500
As a child, you were playing in the yard one day when a neighbor’s cat wandered over. Your mother (who has a fear of cats) screamed and snatched you into her arms. Her behavior caused you to cry. You now have a fear of cats. What is the UR?
What is your crying?
500
This schedule of reinforcement produces the most effective learning.
What is a variable ratio schedule.
500
My cat never gets on the furniture when I am around.
What is Operant Conditioning? The behavior being described here is probably the result of Operant conditioning. When I am around, the cat is probably punished for getting on the furniture. He has formed a discrimination between when I'm around and when I'm not and might be getting on the furniture when I'm not around.
500
A non-profit organization sends free address labels with their solicitation to a non-sympathetic postal costumer. The recipient keeps and uses the labels but doesn’t donate any money to cause. He checks further solicitations for more labels.
What is positive reinforcement? R+ for opening mail
500
I fear soft, white things, thanks to the fact that I was classically conditioned with a rat and loud noises by Watson.
Who is Little Albert?