What is any stimulus that increases the probability that a preceding behavior will occur again?

Reinforcement

Reinforcement is defined as a consequence that follows an operant response that increase (or attempts to increase) the likelihood of that response occurring in the future.

Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

Reinforcement
Positive Reinforcement
Negative Reinforcement
Positive Reinforcer
Negative Reinforcer
Primary Reinforcer
Conditioned Reinforcer
Is any stimulus that increases the probability that a preceding behaviour will occur again?
What increases the probability that a behavior will occur again?
What is any stimulus that increases the probability?
When a stimulus is introduced in order to increase a behavior?

Positive Reinforcement

In an attempt to increase the likelihood of a behavior occurring in the future, an operant response is followed by the presentation of an appetitive stimulus. This is positive reinforcement.

If you stroke a cat's fur in a manner that is pleasing to the cat it will purr. The cat's purring may act as a positive reinforcer, causing you to stroke the cat's fur in the same manner in the future.

Negative Reinforcement

In an attempt to increase the likelihood of a behavior occurring in the future, an operant response is followed by the removal of an aversive stimulus. This is negative reinforcement.

When a child says "please" and "thank you" to his/her mother, the child may not have to engage in his/her dreaded chore of setting the table. Therefore, not having to set the table will act as a negative reinforcer and increase the likelihood of the child saying "please" and "thank you" in the future.

Reinforcer

A behavior (operant response) is sometimes more likely to occur in the future as a result of the consequences that follow that behavior. Events that increase the likelihood of a behavior occurring in the future are called reinforcers.

Positive Reinforcer

A positive reinforcer is an appetitive event whose presentation follows an operant response. The positive reinforcer increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again under the same circumstances.

Click here for an example of a positive reinforcer.

Negative Reinforcer

A negative reinforcer is an aversive event whose removal follows an operant response. The negative reinforcer increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again under the same circumstances.

Click here for an example of a negative reinforcer.

Primary Reinforcer

A primary reinforcer is a reinforcer that is biologically pre-established to act as reinforcement.

Food, water, and sex are all primary reinforcers because they satisfy biological desires.

Conditioned Reinforcer

A conditioned reinforcer is a previously neutral stimulus. If the neutral stimulus is paired with a primary reinforcer it acquires the same reinforcement properties associated with the primary reinforcer.

Money is a conditioned reinforcer. The actual paper bills are not themselves reinforcing. However, the paper bills can be used to acquire primary reinforcers such as food, water, and shelter. Therefore, the paper bills become reinforcers as a result of pairing them with the acquisition of food, water, and shelter.

Glossary Index | Quotations

A	B
Learning	a relatively permanent change in behavior brought about by experience.
Habituation	Decrease in response to a stimulus that occurs after repeated presentations of the same stimulus. Young kids may slowly be interested in a toy unless they see it over and over
Classical Conditioning	A type of learning in which a neutral (footsteps, bell) stimulus comes to bring about a response after it is paired with a stimulus (food) that naturally brings about that response
Neutral Stimulus	A stimulus that before conditioning, does not naturally bring about the response of interest (bell footsteps)
Unconditioned Stimulus	a response that naturally brings about a particular response without having been learned (food)
Unconditioned response	a response that is natural and needs no training (salvation at smell of food)
Conditioned Stimulus	A once-neutral stimulus that has been paired with an unconditioned stimulus to bring about a response formerly caused only by the unconditioned stimulus (bell, footsteps)
Condition Response	response that, after conditioning, follows a previously neutral stimulus (salivation after bell ringing)
extinction	a basic phenomenon of learning that occurs when a previously conditioned response decreases in frequency and eventually disappears (ringing bell w/ food)
Spontaneous Recovery	the reemergence of an extinguished conditional response after a period of rest and with no further conditioning (after 3 days of ringing bell w/ food, salavated again)
Stimulus Generation	occurs when a conditioned response follows a stimulus that is similar to the original conditioned stimulus; the more similar the 2 stimuli are, the more likely generalization is to occur (dogs salivating @ sound of buzzer as well as bell)
Stimulus Discrimination	the process that occurs if 2 stimuli are sufficiently distinct from one another that one evokes a conditioned response but the other does not; the ability to differentiate between sitmuli (looks, sounds) (dog coming to electric can opener but not to food processor)
Operant Conditioning	learing in which a voluntary response is strengthened or weakened, depending on its favorable or unfavorable consequences (working for $)
Reinforcement	process by which a stimulus increases the probability that a preceeding behavior will be repeated (pressing a key for food)
Reinforcer	any stimulus that increases probability that a preceding behavior will occcur again (food)
Primary Reinforcer	Satisfies a biological need, works naturally (food, warmth roof)
Secondary Reinforcer	reinforcing because it association w/ primary reinforcer ($, clothes)
Positive Reinforcer	a stimulus added to the environment that brings about an increase in a preceding response ($ for report cards)
negative reinforcer	unpleasant stimulus whose removal leads to an increase in the probability that the preceeding response will be repeated in the future (ibuprofen for headache
Punishment	stimulus that decreases the probability that a previous behavior will occur again
Positive Punishment	add something to decrease the behavior (wood spoon, jail, yelling)
Negative Punishment	removal of something pleasant (phone, car keys)
schedules of reinforcement	different patterns of frequency and timing of reinforcement following desired behavior (vending machine- &-candy)
continuous reinforcement schedule	reinforcing of a behavior every time it occurs
Partial (intermittent) reinforcement schedule	reinforcing of a behavior some but not all of the time (slot machine (stronger & longer responding)
Fixed- ratio schedule	a schedule by which reinforcement is given only after a specific number of responses are made (bird pecking colored light so many times for food)
Variable ration schedule	a schedule by which reinforcement occurs after a varying number of responses rather than after a fixed number (salesperson on phone call 20 people and only 3rd, 7th 10th sell)
Fixed interval schedule	a schedule that provides reinforcement for a response only if a fixed time period has elapsed, making overall rates of response relatively low (study habits cramming the day before)
Variable interval schedule	a schedule by which the time between reinforcements varies around some average rather than being fixed (pop quizzes varying from 1 every 3 days to 3 weeks- to infuence more studying instead of cramming)
Shaping	The process of teaching a complex behavior by rewarding closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior (saying please and thank you)
Cognitive learning theory	an approach to the study of learning that focuses on the thought process that underlie learning
Latent learning	learning in which a new behavior is acquired bt is not demonstrated until some incentive is provided for displaying it( rats in a maze w/ & w/out food doing something for a reward.) (taking notes before assignment)
Observational Learning	Learning by observing the behavior of another person or role model (driving washing hands)

Is any stimulus that increases the probability that a preceding behaviour will occur again?

Reinforcers can be anything that increases the probability of a behaviour happening again. They're usually things that we like, but just because we like something, doesn't mean it will necessarily act as a reinforcer.

What increases the probability that a behavior will occur again?

Reinforcer. A behavior (operant response) is sometimes more likely to occur in the future as a result of the consequences that follow that behavior. Events that increase the likelihood of a behavior occurring in the future are called reinforcers.

What is any stimulus that increases the probability?

primary reinforcers - Any stimuli that increase the probability of a response because of their innate, biological value, such as food and water. punishment - The adding or taking away of a stimulus following a response, which decreases the likelihood of that response being repeated.

When a stimulus is introduced in order to increase a behavior?

The most effective way to teach a person or animal a new behavior is with positive reinforcement. In positive reinforcement, a desirable stimulus is added to increase a behavior.