Reinforcement 1
T or F: If you have reinforced a behavior, it means the behavior must be decreasing.
FALSE. If you have reinforced a behavior, you have INCREASED the likelihood of it occurring in the future.
T or F: Positive punishment means you have added a stimulus.
T: Positive means the addition of a stimulus.
T or F: Spacing out a schedule of reinforcement is called thickening.
False. Spacing out a schedule of reinforcement is called schedule thinning.
T or F: Reinforcement means you give someone something.
False. Reinforcement means the behavior is increasing as a result of the consequence delivered.
T or F: If you have punished a behavior, it means the behavior must be decreasing.
TRUE. Punishment means the consequence delivered has DECREASED the future likelihood of the behavior.
This type of reinforcement means you have added a stimulus.
Positive reinforcement.
T or F: Negative punishment means you have removed a stimulus and the behavior increased.
False: Negative punishment means you have removed a stimulus and the behavior DECREASED.
T or F: A fixed ratio of reinforcement means the reinforcement is provided on a consistent schedule of a certain number of responses.
TRUE. A fixed ratio means the ratio of responses to reinforcement is 'fixed', or consistent. E.g., a FR1 means for every 1 response, reinforcement is provided.
T or F: Reinforcement means you want to increase a behavior.
False. Reinforcement has nothing to do with what the respondent wants to do. Reinforcement is based on the future likelihood of the behavior increasing.
This type of punishment means you have removed a stimulus.
Negative punishment
This type of reinforcement means you have removed a stimulus.
Negative reinforcement.
T or F: Punishment means you intend to decrease a behavior.
False. Punishment and reinforcement have nothing to do with intent. Punishment is determined by whether the behavior decreases as a result.
Fixed ratios are often used when a learner is first being taught a skill.
True. Fixed ratios (often FR1) are often used for new skills so that the learner is reinforced every time they demonstrate the skill. This is often faded over time to mirror a more natural reinforcement schedule.
When Joe screams in the shopping cart for a cookie, his mom gives him one. The next time he goes to the store and sees a cookie, he screams even more. The procedure described is called:
Positive reinforcement. Joe's mom has positively reinforced the screaming by adding a stimulus (cookie) that increased the behavior (screaming).
This type of punishment means you have added a stimulus.
Positive punishment.
Every time Johnny does his homework, his mom removes a chore he is expected to do from his chore chart. This increases his homework completion. This procedure is called:
Negative reinforcement. Negative (removes a chore) reinforcement (increases behavior of completing homework).
When Samantha scratches her nose, the feeling of itchiness goes away. When her nose is itchy in the future, she is more likely to scratch it for relief. This procedure is called:
Negative reinforcement. The removal of an aversive stimulus (itchiness) which has increased the behavior of scratching an itch.
Every second time Mary asks for a cookie, her mom gives her one. This schedule of reinforcement is called:
Fixed ratio 2 (FR2).
Sammy has a sunburn. He applies aloe vera gel to try to ease the pain. He is allergic to aloe vera and it begins to burn. He does not use aloe vera gel on a sunburn ever again. The procedure described is called:
Positive punishment. The addition of a stimulus (aloe vera/burning) decreases the future likelihood of him applying the aloe vera on a sunburn in the future.
Every time Johnny hits his sister, his mom takes away his iPad. This decreases his behavior of hitting his sister. This procedure is called:
Negative punishment. Negative (removes iPad) punishment (decreases behavior of hitting sister).
Every time Samantha gets an A on a test, her professor says she does not have to do the homework that week. This procedure is called:
A) Positive reinforcement
B) Positive punishment
C) Negative reinforcement
D) Not enough information
D) Not enough information. There is no information on whether Samantha's behavior of getting an A has increased or decreased.
When Sally throws her cheerios on the floor, her mom makes her pick them up. This decreases her cheerio throwing in the future. This procedure is called:
A) Positive punishment
B) Positive reinforcement
C) Negative punishment
D) Not enough information
A) Positive punishment. We know this because Sally's behavior of throwing cheerios decreases (punishment) following the addition of the consequence her mom has provided (cleaning up demand).
Approximately every 5th time Mario asks his mom for McDonald's, on average, she says yes and takes him. The schedule of reinforcement described is:
Variable ratio 5 (VR5).
Every time Samantha gets an A on a test, her professor says she does not have to do the homework that week. As the semester goes on, she studies hard and she gets more and more As on tests. This procedure is called:
A) Positive reinforcement
B) Positive punishment
C) Negative reinforcement
D) Not enough information
C Negative Reinforcement. We know this because Samantha's behavior increases (getting As) following the removal of a stimulus (homework).
When Sally throws her cheerios on the floor, her mom makes her pick them up. This procedure is called:
A) Positive punishment
B) Positive reinforcement
C) Negative punishment
D) Not enough information
D) Not enough information. No information is provided on whether this results in Sally's behavior (of throwing cheerios) increasing or decreasing.