Module 10b--Operant and Cognitive Approaches Student: 1. Classical conditioning involves behavior and its consequences. 2. According to the law of effect, behavior that is followed by positive consequences is weakened. 3. One of the criticisms of Skinner is that he failed to use an objective measure of behavior. 4. Skinner studied operant conditioning. 5. When successive behaviors are reinforced, the process of generalization is occurring. 6. Reinforcers increase the likelihood that behaviors will be repeated. 7. In operant conditioning, the reinforcer is contingent on the UCR. 8. Behavior is emitted and then followed by a consequence in operant conditioning. 9. Negative reinforcement is a type of punishment. 10. Punishment reduces the chance that a behavior will be repeated. 11. Something unpleasant is presented in negative punishment. 12. Time-out removes a misbehaving child from an opportunity for reinforcement. 13. Money is a primary reinforcer. 1
14. Partial schedules of reinforcement maintain behavior over the long term. 15. If you reinforce a person every 30 minutes, she is on a fixed ratio schedule. 16. A variable ratio schedule indicates that behavior is reinforced after an unchanging number of behaviors have occurred. 17. If a trained dog sits when a stranger says "sit" then generalization has taken place. 18. Later in his life, Skinner recognized the importance of cognitive factors in learning. 19. Prepared learning refers to how animals often learn certain combinations of CS and UCS more easily than other combinations. 20. According to social cognitive theory, we watch or imitate others' behaviors. 21. The Lovaas program is most effective for children with less severe autism. 22. When the principles of learning are used to alter undesirable behavior, it is called behavior modification. 23. Operant conditioning explains how animals learn cognitive maps. 24. Using classical conditioning, trainers use food and toys to reinforce killer whales. 25. A trained killer whale associates a whistle with food. 2
26. Explain the law of effect and how Skinner used it to develop operant conditioning. 27. Discuss how a dolphin could be trained to locate mines in the water. 28. Discuss the main differences between operant conditioning and classical conditioning. 29. Define positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement as well as providing an example for each. 3
30. Compare and contrast positive reinforcement with positive punishment and negative reinforcement with negative punishment. 31. Describe the four schedules of reinforcement: fixed ratio, fixed interval, variable ratio, and variable interval. How is behavior influenced by each of these schedules? 32. Describe the Bobo doll study and how it supports social cognitive theory. 33. What is imprinting and what implication does it have for teaching animals new behaviors? 4
34. Discuss how you could use the principles of operant conditioning to improve your study habits. 35. Describe the use of operant conditioning to train a killer whale to perform tricks. 5
Module 10b--Operant and Cognitive Approaches Key 1. Classical conditioning involves behavior and its consequences. 2. According to the law of effect, behavior that is followed by positive consequences is weakened. 3. One of the criticisms of Skinner is that he failed to use an objective measure of behavior. 4. Skinner studied operant conditioning. 5. When successive behaviors are reinforced, the process of generalization is occurring. 6. Reinforcers increase the likelihood that behaviors will be repeated. 7. In operant conditioning, the reinforcer is contingent on the UCR. 8. Behavior is emitted and then followed by a consequence in operant conditioning. 9. Negative reinforcement is a type of punishment. 10. Punishment reduces the chance that a behavior will be repeated. 11. Something unpleasant is presented in negative punishment. 12. Time-out removes a misbehaving child from an opportunity for reinforcement. 13. Money is a primary reinforcer. 1
14. Partial schedules of reinforcement maintain behavior over the long term. 15. If you reinforce a person every 30 minutes, she is on a fixed ratio schedule. 16. A variable ratio schedule indicates that behavior is reinforced after an unchanging number of behaviors have occurred. 17. If a trained dog sits when a stranger says "sit" then generalization has taken place. 18. Later in his life, Skinner recognized the importance of cognitive factors in learning. 19. Prepared learning refers to how animals often learn certain combinations of CS and UCS more easily than other combinations. 20. According to social cognitive theory, we watch or imitate others' behaviors. 21. The Lovaas program is most effective for children with less severe autism. 22. When the principles of learning are used to alter undesirable behavior, it is called behavior modification. 23. Operant conditioning explains how animals learn cognitive maps. 24. Using classical conditioning, trainers use food and toys to reinforce killer whales. 25. A trained killer whale associates a whistle with food. 26. Explain the law of effect and how Skinner used it to develop operant conditioning. 2
27. Discuss how a dolphin could be trained to locate mines in the water. 28. Discuss the main differences between operant conditioning and classical conditioning. 29. Define positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement as well as providing an example for each. 30. Compare and contrast positive reinforcement with positive punishment and negative reinforcement with negative punishment. 31. Describe the four schedules of reinforcement: fixed ratio, fixed interval, variable ratio, and variable interval. How is behavior influenced by each of these schedules? 32. Describe the Bobo doll study and how it supports social cognitive theory. 33. What is imprinting and what implication does it have for teaching animals new behaviors? 34. Discuss how you could use the principles of operant conditioning to improve your study habits. 3
35. Describe the use of operant conditioning to train a killer whale to perform tricks. 4