Reinforcement

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Chapter 4

• Reinforcement

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Reinforcement

• Is a basic principle of behavior
• Was established by Skinner in laboratory research
  and over 40 years of human research
• Is a component of many behavior modification
  procedures

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Defining Reinforcement

• 1. The occurrence of a behavior
• 2. Results immediately in a consequence
• 3. The behavior is strengthened (more likely to
  occur again in the future in similar
  circumstances)
• Present ----gt Behavior is followed by a
  consequence
• Future ----gt Behavior is more likely to occur
• Functional definition of reinforcement

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Effects of Reinforcement on Behavior

• Increase in frequency
• Increase in duration
• Increase in intensity
• Increase in quickness (decrease in latency)

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What is Operant Behavior?

• Behavior that is strengthened through the process
  of reinforcement - behavior that is controlled
  by its consequences

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What is a Reinforcer?

• The consequence (stimulus or event) that follows
  operant behavior strengthens operant behavior

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Two types of reinforcement

• Positive reinforcement
• Negative reinforcement
• Both positive reinforcement and negative
  reinforcement strengthen behavior - make the
  behavior more likely to occur in the future

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What is Positive Reinforcement?

• Behavior is followed by the presentation of a
  stimulus (a reinforcer) and the behavior is
  strengthened

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What is Negative Reinforcement?

• Behavior is followed by the removal of a stimulus
  (a punisher / aversive stimulus) and the behavior
  is strengthened

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Escape and avoidance behaviors

• are involved in negative reinforcement
• Escape - the behavior results in the termination
  of (escape from) the aversive stimulus and the
  behavior is strengthened.
• Avoidance - the behavior results in the
  prevention of (avoidance of) the aversive
  stimulus and the behavior is strengthened.

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Everyday Examples of Negative Reinforcement

• Turn the channel during a bad TV show
• Put on a coat on a cold day
• Use an umbrella
• Slap a mosquito
• Turn up the heat
• Roll up the window when it rains
• Wear earplugs on a noisy job
• Turn down the lights, TV, stereo
• Turn on the exhaust fan
• Loosen a tight collar or tie
• Turn off the alarm buzzer
• Give in to a screaming kid
• Tell someone to be quiet in a movie

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Positive and Negative Reinforcement in the Same
Situation

• Tantrum in a grocery store
• Childs tantrum behavior is strengthened by
  getting candy from a parent (positive
  reinforcement)
• Parents behavior of giving candy to child is
  strengthened by termination of the tantrum
  (negative reinforcement)

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Unconditioned Reinforcers

• Biologically determined - survival value for the
  individual
• Food, water, human contact (warmth), oxygen,
  sexual contact, escape from cold, heat, pain,
  extreme levels of stimulation

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Conditioned Reinforcers

• A previously neutral stimulus
• - repeatedly paired with an established
  reinforcer (an unconditioned or conditioned
  reinforcer)
• - will function as a reinforcer
• Examples of Conditioned Reinforcers
• Sight, sound, and scent of parents
• Parents smile, tone of voice, attention,
  praise
• Types of toys, TV shows, music, clothes,
  activities
• Grades, positive evaluations
• Accomplishments (social, physical)
• Money
• Others

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Conditioned Generalized Reinforcers

• Paired with a wide variety of other reinforcers
• Money, praise, tokens

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Factors that Influence Reinforcement

• Immediacy
• Consistency (contingency)
• Establishing operations
• Individual differences
• Intensity of the stimulus

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Schedules of Reinforcement

• Specifies which responses will be followed by the
  reinforcer
• Continuous reinforcement - Each response is
  followed by the reinforcer
• Intermittent reinforcement - Not every response
  is followed by a reinforcer

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Fixed Ratio Schedules

• Reinforcer after X number of responses - the
  number does not change
• Produces high rate / post reinforcement pause
• Examples piece rate pay
• classroom uses

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Variable Ratio Schedules

• Reinforcer after X number of responses on the
  average
• Produces high rate / no post-reinforcement pause
• Examples work and classroom uses
• slot machine, phone solicitors

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Fixed Interval Schedules

• Reinforcer for the first response after X amount
  of time - time interval does not change
• Produces low rate of responding that increases at
  the end of the interval
• Rarely used in behavior modification
• Examples mail delivery every 2 hours
• hourly supervisor checks on a worker

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Variable Interval Schedules

• Reinforcer for the first response after X amount
  of time on the average
• Produces low but steady rate of behavior
• Rarely used in behavior modification
• Examples unpredictable supervisor checks,
  checking for phone or e-mail messages

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Concurrent Schedules of Reinforcement

• Schedules of reinforcement that exist at the same
  time for two or more different behaviors
• Concurrent operants
• Factors influencing choice of concurrent operants
• - schedule of reinforcement
• - magnitude of reinforcement
• - immediacy of reinforcement
• - response effort