chapter 6 developing behavioral persistence through the use of intermittent reinforcement
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 6
Developing Behavioral Persistence Through the Use of Intermittent Reinforcement
Intermittent Reinforcement
Basic Definitions Continuous Reinforcement opposite of
extinction Intermittent Reinforcement between
extinction and continuous reinforcement schedules
Schedule of Reinforcement
Intermittent Reinforcement
Acquisition and Maintenance phases of learning: use continuous during acquisition, then intermittent schedules during maintenance.
Advantages of Intermittant over Continuous reinforcer effective longer (satiation slower). more resistant to extinction. individuals work more consistently on certain int.
schedules. persists more when transferred to natural reinforcers.
Ratio Schedules
Fixed Ratio: start with low ratio, move higher gradually enough to avoid Ratio Strain .
Characteristics:
1) high rate of response until reinforcement
2) higher ratios increase Postreinforcement Pause
3) high resistance to extinction
Example: piece-rate pay
Ratio Schedules
Variable Ratio : Use average ratio to define the schedule.
Characteristics: 1) high steady rate of response2)very little postreinforcement pause. 3)high resistance to extinction
Ratios can be increased less gradually without ratio strain. Examples: slot machines, asking for date, golf shot,
solitaire
Ratio Schedules
When to use Ratio Schedules?
1) To generate high rate of response
2) When each response can be monitored.
Simple Interval Schedules
Fixed-Interval : ex. FI 2-minute.
Characteristics:
1) response rate increases gradually until reinforcement.
2) postreinforcement pause (higher FI value=longer pause
Examples: picking up a paycheck, checking mail
Simple Interval Schedules
Variable-Interval Schedule : use average interval to define
Characteristics:
1) moderate response rate
2) little post-reinforcement pause
3) higher resistance to extinction than FI
Examples: checking mail (if delivered inconsistently) or answering machine
Simple Interval Schedules
When to use simple interval schedules?
Rarely, due to: post-reinforcement pause for FI, lower response rates overall for VI continuous monitoring required for both
after the end of an interval, waiting for the first behavior to occur.
Limited Hold
When to do limited hold?
Whenever possible, to:
1) improve response rate to that similar to ratio scales,
2) eliminate post-reinforcement pause and increase resistance to extinction.
Limited Hold
Add Limited Hold to interval schedules to eliminate postreinforcement pause. (FI 1 minute/LH 10 seconds)
Response rates to interval schedules with limited hold are like ratio schedules: FI/LH like FR and VI/LH like VR.
Limited Hold
More resistant to extinction
Examples. Timer Game for kids (VI /LH), waiting for bus (FI/LH), watching TV (VI/LH), hitchhiking (VI/LH), calling friend (VI/LH)
Duration Schedules
Duration Schedules Fixed-Duration and Variable-Duration
Characteristics:
1) Continuous behavior
2) FD has post-reinforcement pause
3) FD mod R.T.E., VD High R.T.E.
Examples: hourly pay (FD), melting solder (FD), rubbing sticks together (VD)
Duration Schedules
When to use? When target behavior can be measured
continuously and reinforced based on duration. FR better than FD, ex. dusting
Concurrent Schedules of Reinforcement We respond to concurrent (competing) schedules of
reinforcement all the time…what determines which reinforcers we respond to? How do we prioritize our time (behavior)?
immediacy of reinforcement magnitude of reinforcement response effort required schedule of reinforcement
Chapter 7Types of Intermittent Reinforcement
to Decrease Behavior
Intermittent Reinforcement to Decrease Behavior
Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates (DRL)
Some behaviors are tolerable or even good at low rates but not at high rates.
Examples: talking, confrontation, visits, talking out in class…
Intermittent Reinforcement to Decrease Behavior
Limited responding DRL: for undesirable behavior (reinforce if behavior is less than a certain limit within a certain time)
Spaced-responding DRL: for desirable behavior that needs to be decreased to acceptable levels (e.g. giving answer in class). If behavior has not occurred for a specific interval, reinforce first instance of behavior after interval ends, then start non-reinforcing interval again.
Intermittent Reinforcement to Decrease Behavior
Differential reinforcement of Zero Responding (DRO)
Reduction of DRL limit to zeroSometimes called Differential reinforcement of other responding because any other behavior besides the target behavior to eliminate is OK and is thus reinforced after a certain interval. This can create a problem of reinforcing other undesirable behaviors, so we can use…
Intermittent Reinforcement to Decrease Behavior
Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Responding (10)
Find a desirable behavior which cannot be done at the same time as the undesirable behavior (see table pg. 93
This eliminates the problem of reinforcing undesirable behaviors as mentioned above.
Chapter 8Doing the Right Thing at the Right Time and Place: Stimulus Discrimination and
Stimulus Generalization
Stimulus Discrimination and Stimulus Generalization
Stimulus Discrimination Learning
Stimulus Discrimination : emitting behavior in certain context, and not others.
ABCs of behavior: Antecedent (stimulus context), behavior, consequences
Stimulus Discrimination and Stimulus Generalization
Stimulus Control : degree of correlation between stimulus and subsequent response
Discriminative stimuli
SD or stimulus for reinforcement
Sdelta or “ “ extinction
Examples:
swearing with friends, friends are SD
swearing at Grandparents, GPs are Sdelta
Stimulus Discrimination and Stimulus Generalization
Stimulus Generalization
Physical Similarity: stimulus class
Common characteristics: stimulus class, concept
Equivalence class
Stimulus Discrimination and Stimulus Generalization
Factors determining effectiveness of Stimulus Disc. Training
1) Distinct Signals: not easily confused, high attention value, salient
2) Minimizing opportunities for error structure environment carefully to avoid responses to Sdeltas
3) Maximize number of trials: 4) Use Rules: Describe the contingencies