Chapter 3 Positive Reinforcement

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Chapter 3Positive Reinforcement
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• Define positive reinforcer and the principle of
  positive reinforcement
• Define operant behaviors and give example

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Factors Influencing the effectiveness of positive
reinforcement

• Selection of the behavior to be reinforced
  (clear, specific behavior)

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Factors Influencing the effectiveness of positive
reinforcement

• Choice of reinforcer individualized through
• trial and error
• observation of behavior
• Premack principle (Opportunity to engage in
  behavior with high probability of occurring
  (desired behavior) can be used to reinforce low
  probability behavior.
• 5 types of reinforcers (Consumable. Activity,
  Manipulative, Possessional, and Social )
• Variety of Reinforcers Reinforcer Menu
  increases chances one of the reinforcers will be
  strong.

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Factors Influencing the effectiveness of positive
reinforcement

• Motivating Operations (motivational variables)
• Conditions that alter the effectiveness of a
  reinforcer and thus the frequency of the behavior
  reinforced by that reinforcer.
• Ex. Deprivation and satiation affect both the
  effectiveness of a reinforcer and frequency of
  behaviors reinforced by the reinforcer.

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Factors Influencing the effectiveness of positive
reinforcement

• Reinforcer Size
• Sufficient to strengthen, small enough not to
  satiate
• Reinforcer Immediacy
• Direct-acting effect effect of immediacy
• Indirect-acting effect delayed effects (due
  to cognitive effects such as instructions, self
  statements, etc)

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Factors Influencing the effectiveness of positive
reinforcement

• Instructions Rules
• Guidelines for reinforcement of specific
  behavior in specific situation.
• Is reinforcement Bribery?
• Does extrinsic reinforcement undermine intrinsic
  motivation?

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Factors Influencing the effectiveness of positive
reinforcement

• Contingent vs. Non contingent reinforcement
• Contingent to specific behavior effective
  reinforcement
• Noncontingent reinforcement may accidently
  increase undesirable behavior that it happens to
  follow and may lead to adventitious reinforcment
  and superstitious behavior.

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Factors Influencing the effectiveness of positive
reinforcement

• Weaning from reinforcement
• Gradually try to get natural reinforcers in the
  natural environment to maintain the behavior

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• Chapter 4
• Developing and Maintaining Behavior with
  Conditioned Reinforcement

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• Unconditioned (primary, unlearned) Reinforcers
• Food, water, sex, warmth

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• Conditioned (secondary, learned) Reinforcers
• Reinforcing strength from being paired or
  associated with other reinforcers (back- up
  reinforcers) (praise, television programs,
  clothes) We like these things because weve
  learned that they bring other good things.

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• Simple Conditioned Reinforcers for behaviors
  paired with single backup reinforcer
• Generalized Conditioned Reinforcers paired with
  multiple backup reinforcers (money, praise, gift
  certificate)

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• Tokens can be accumulated and exchanged for
  backup reinforcers.
• Token System A behavior modification program
  that uses tokens.

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• Why use conditioned reinforcers?
• Can be delivered more immediately when
  unconditioned reinforcers are unavailable or too
  costly, etc.

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• Backup Reinforcers another level of complexity.
• Can be either conditioned or unconditioned
  reinforcers
• (We like this because it brings us this, which
  we like because it brings us something else and
  so on)

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Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of
Conditioned Reinforcement

• Strength of Backup Reinforcers
• Variety of Backup Reinforcers (see generalized
  backup reinforcers)
• Schedule of pairing with Backup reinforcer
• (intermittent schedule more effective)
• Extinction of Conditioned reinforcer

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• Chapter 5
• Decreasing a Behavior with Extinction

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• Extinction definition
• Contrast with punishment and forgetting.

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Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of
Extinction

• Controlling Reinforcers
• Collaboration between settings for consistency
  of withdrawal of reinforcers.
• Extinction with Positive Reinforcement of
  Alternative Behavior
• Be careful to reinforce the undesirable
  behavior by not waiting long enough after it
  stops to reward the absence of the behavior.
• Is it cruel to ignore someone who may be a in
  time of need?

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Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of
Extinction

• Setting of Extinction Program
• to avoid exposure to reinforcement of
  undesirable behavior
• Instructions and Rules speed learning if verbal
  skills present
• After Continuous Reinforcement to overcome
  strength of intermittent schedule

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Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of
Extinction

• Extinction Burst It may get worse before it
  gets better. Why?
• Extinction and Aggression minimize aggression
  with reinforcement of alternative behaviors.