Presenting a reinforcer only if a particular response occurs at a low rate.

Ex.  Tommy was told at the end of a class whether he had met the requirement  (low rate)

Schedule that specifies the maximum allowable number during a certain time interval in order for reinforcement to occur.

Usefull when   a)   some of the behavior is tolerable

                         b)  less of it is better

ex. Tommy's teacher tolerating a maximum of 3 talk-outs in a 50 minute class

Response is reinforced only if it occurs a specified amount of time following the previous response.

Ex. a student must wait 15 minutes after offering a response, then wait again 15 minutes..etc.

DRO

Reinforcer is presented ONLY if a specified respnse does NOT occur during a specified period of time. The target response causes the timing of the interval to start over again.... other - he is not allowed to do any other similar /destructive behavior

Ex. DRO 2min- patient must not scratch himself for 2 minutes (then a reward). If he scratches himself..the clock starts again.

Recommended when an undesireable behavior has been occurring often and for long intervals.  DRO 5min might be for elmination of temper tantrums. When the non-occurence of behavior is under good control of this contingency, the scedule should be increased  ... to DRO 10min

Ex. DRO should continue to be increased until  a)the behavior is occurring very rearely or not at all and   b) a minimum anount of reinforcement is being given for its nonoccurence.

DRI

Reinforcing a response that is incompatible with the target response (cannot be emitted at the same time).  You can't do both

Ex. Arriving to class late..... DRI- arriving to class 10 minutes early

It's impossible to do both behaviors, so when the person is trying to get the reward for the 'other' behavior, she can't be doing the target behavior and the target behavior will become extinct.

The reinforcer for the new 'incompatible' behavior will replace the actions and reinforcer for the target.

Presentation of a reinforcement every time a behavior occurs

Ex. Get a candy for every math problem completed

The maintainence of a behavior by reinforcing it only occasionally rather than every time it occurs

Ex. Get candy arbitrarily, for a math problem completed. ( 3 problems. 1 problem. 10 problems..etc.)

Fixed Ratio

FR

Reinforcement occuring each time a set number of responses of a particular type are emitted.

Produces a high steady rate until reinforcement. Produces high resistance to extinction

Ex. Paying workers after a certain number of baskets of fruit are picked.

Variable Ratio

VR

The number of responses requireed to produce reinforcemtn changes unpredictably from one reinforcement to the next. Produces the highest rates of performance, approaching the maximum physical capabilites of the organism

Ex. Slot machines - don't know how many times to pull the handle

Fixed Interval

FI

The first response after a fixed period of time followed by the previous response is reinforced. and a new interval begins.

The size of the FI schedule is the amount of time that must elapse before reinforcement becomes available again.    Lowest yield of performance

Ex. People with salaried positions - paid weekly regardless of their production

Variable Interval

VI

the length of time that must elapse before a response is rewarded varies. High resistance to extinction

Ex. Fishing in general - you never know how much time until the next fish

LH

It is a finite time, after a reinforcer becomes available, that a response will produce it. Once a reinforcer is 'set up', its availability is 'held' only for the limited period.

Ex. The 10 seconds we have to respond to the question during the exam review

FI / LH

The first response (after a fixed interval of time)  is reinforced.

-providing the response occurs within a set period at the end of the interval

Ex. Taking a cake out of the oven. The time to bake the cake is fixed, but at the end of that time, you need to get it out of the oven very soon or it will be ruined.

VI / LH

After a variable interval of time, the first response is rewarded.

-Providing the response occurs within a set period of time.

Ex. You only have 2 minutes to get onto a bus that arrives irregularly.

 F D

To be reinforced, the behavior must occur continuously throughout a fixed time interval. This is used to increase a behavior when its desireable that the behavior persist throughtout a period of time

Ex. Student gets rewarded for practicing piano, only if they continued practicing through the entire practice period.

V D

To be reinforced, the behavior must occur continuously throughout a variable time interval. Used to increase behaviors that should persist throughout a period of time.

Produces long periods of continuous behavior until reinforced.

Ex. Rubbing sticks together to produce fire. The time it taks to produce the fire varies, but the activity must continue throughout the whole period.

The use of an item (reward, reinforcer) which causes a behavior to increase in strength or frequency

Behaviors that operate on the environment to generate consequences, and are influenced by those consequences

Engaging in a behavior, that has a high probability of occuring, can be used to reinforce behavior that has a low probability of occuring.

Ex-Dr asking patient to take medicine with meals

The total ineffectiveness of a reinforcer after unlimited access to it. Then it is completely useless

Ex-candy no longer increases a behaviors frequency after the person ate too much

The sooner a reinforcer is given after a behavior, the stronger the association between behavior-to-reinforcer is made. The stronger the learning.

Direct- acting Effect

Indirect- acting Effect

Direct- causes increaed frequency of behavior because of its immediate reinforcing consequences

Indirect- strengthing of a behavior through a delayed or indirect mechanism.

Contingent reinforcement

Non- Contingent reinforcement

Contingent - the behavior MUST occur before the reinforcer is given

Ex- can play with friends after homework is done

Non-Contingent - can play at the end of class (whether work is done or not)

increases the likelihood of the undesireable behavior

Four guidelines for

Effective Application of Positive Reinforcement

1- selecting the behavior to be increased

2. selecting a reinforcer

3- applying positive reinforcement

4- weaning the student from the program

Conditioned reinforcers

Unconditioned reinforcers

Conditioned- stimuli which have been learned to be associated with a behavior and now effect the frequency of a behavior

Unconditioned- stimuli which effect behavior without haveing to learn the association (do not need any conditioning)

1-  the strength of Back-up Reinforcers

2-  the variety of Back-up Reinforcers

3- the schedule of Pairing with the Back-up Reinforcer

4- Extintion of the conditioned reinforcer

1. CR should be a stimulus that can be managed easily in envirnment

2. use the same CR that the individual will encounter in natural envinmt

3. a Back-up Reinforcer should be presented as quickly as possible afer the presentation of the CR

4. use Generalized CR whenever possible

5. avoid destructive competition fro CR and Back-up R

6. follow the same rules for CR that apply to any positive R

any reinforcer that follow behavior in the course of a normal day

Ex. boss says 'great job'

a reinforcer which causes other stimuli to become CR when they are paired with it. Used to establish the strength of CR

Ex- the fish that dolphins get during training is the back-up (real) reinforcer for the clicker reinforcer that they learn tricks with.

A  CR that is paired with more than one back-up

Ex- Adult attention paired with feeding, washing, warm clothes, playing with the child

a reinforcer from others or the environment

Ex - all secondary reinforcers

an Unconditioned Reinforcer.  and unlearned reinforcer

It reinforces the behavior without any learning necessary

Ex - food,, water, warmth, sex

a Conditioned Reinforcer.  stimuli which reinforce a behavior after a learned association between stimuli and behavior

Ex- getting a ticket to the movies  for doing X

stimuli which produces a behavior because of feelings from within, self -motivated reinforcer

Ex- joy, satisfaction, inner peace, personal pride

 a Conditioned Reinforcer that can be accumulated and exchanged for back-up reinforcers.  These are the least suseptible to satitation because they can be exchanged for a large variety of other reinforcing events.

Instruction can facilitate extinction:

1 -speed up the learning process for individuals who understand them

2 -influence an individual to work for delayed reinforcement

Ex - 'each time you do X.(whine about the traffic) . then Y(my attention) will not occur.