Behavior Chapter 2 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is 'Behavior is not'?

An emotional response

A learned reaction

A property or attribute of the organism (correct)

An instinctual action

What is a response?

A single instance or occurrence of a specific class or type of behavior.

What is a response class?

A group of responses of varying topography, all of which produce the same effect on the environment.

What is the environment?

The conglomerate of real circumstances in which the organism or referenced part of the organism exists. Signup and view all the answers

What is respondent behavior?

Behavior that is elicited by antecedent stimuli. Signup and view all the answers

What is respondent conditioning?

A stimulus-stimulus pairing procedure in which a neutral stimulus is presented with an unconditioned stimulus until it becomes a conditioned stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is stimulus-stimulus pairing?

A procedure in which two stimuli are presented at the same time, usually repeatedly. Signup and view all the answers

What is an aversive stimulus?

An unpleasant or noxious stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is a conditioned punisher?

A previously neutral stimulus change that functions as a punisher due to prior pairing with one or more other punishers. Signup and view all the answers

What is a conditioned reinforcer?

A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer. Signup and view all the answers

What is a conditioned stimulus?

An originally irrelevant stimulus that triggers a conditioned response after association with an unconditioned stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What does 'contingency' refer to?

Dependent and/or temporal relations between operant behavior and its controlling variables. Signup and view all the answers

What does 'contingent' mean?

The behavior must be emitted for the consequence to occur. Signup and view all the answers

What is a discriminated operant?

An operant that occurs more frequently under some antecedent conditions than others. Signup and view all the answers

What is a discriminative stimulus?

A stimulus in the presence of which responses have been reinforced. Signup and view all the answers

What is extinction?

The discontinuing of reinforcement. Signup and view all the answers

What is a motivating operation?

An environmental variable that alters the reinforcing effectiveness of some stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is negative reinforcement?

Occurs when a response is strengthened by the removal of an aversive stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is a punisher?

A stimulus change that decreases the future frequency of behavior that immediately precedes it. Signup and view all the answers

What is punishment?

An event that decreases the behavior it follows. Signup and view all the answers

What is reinforcement?

A stimulus or event that follows a response and increases the frequency of that response. Signup and view all the answers

What is a reinforcer?

A stimulus change that increases the future frequency of behavior that immediately precedes it. Signup and view all the answers

What is respondent extinction?

The repeated presentation of a conditioned stimulus in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is stimulus control?

A situation in which the frequency, latency, duration, or amplitude of a behavior is altered by the presence or absence of an antecedent stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Behavior Concepts

Behavior is distinct from being a property of an organism; it reflects actions rather than inherent traits.
A response is defined as a specific instance of behavior occurring within a particular context.

Response Class and Environment

Response class refers to varying responses that achieve the same environmental effect, regardless of their physical form.
The environment encompasses all factual circumstances surrounding an organism, which influences behavior.

Types of Behavior

Respondent behavior is triggered by antecedent stimuli, forming a direct relation between stimulus and response.

Conditioning Processes

Respondent conditioning occurs when a neutral stimulus (NS) is repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus (US) until the NS itself elicits a conditioned response (CR).
Stimulus-stimulus pairing involves simultaneous presentation of two stimuli, allowing one to gain the function of the other.

Stimuli Definitions

Aversive stimulus is described as unpleasant or noxious, potentially leading to behavior modification.
Conditioned punisher arises from a neutral stimulus becoming punishing due to its association with other punishers.
Conditioned reinforcer gains its reinforcing properties through association with a primary reinforcer, categorized as a secondary reinforcer.
A conditioned stimulus (CS) is initially irrelevant but gains significance through pairing with an unconditioned stimulus.

Behavioral Contingencies and Relations

Contingency denotes the dependency and timing relations between behavior and its controlling factors.
To be contingent, a behavior must occur for a consequence to follow.

Discrimination and Operants

Discriminated operant manifests more frequently under certain conditions, influenced by external antecedents.
Discriminative stimulus is one that reinforces specific responses in its presence while failing to do so in its absence.

Arising Behavior Changes

Extinction refers to the cessation of reinforcement leading to behavior decrease.
Motivating operations modify the reinforcing power of a stimulus and impact the frequency of previously reinforced behaviors.

Reinforcement and Punishment

Negative reinforcement strengthens behaviors through the removal of aversive stimuli.
A punisher diminishes future behavior frequency by acting as a consequence, while punishment is the process where behavior is decreased by an event that follows it.
Reinforcement, conversely, enhances behavior frequency through following stimuli or events, while a reinforcer is any stimulus that boosts future behavior frequency.

Extinction and Control

Respondent extinction involves repeated presentation of the conditioned stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus, gradually reducing the conditioned response until it ceases.
Stimulus control occurs when behavior patterns are altered in frequency, latency, duration, or amplitude by the presence or absence of a specific antecedent stimulus.

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Description

Test your understanding of key terms related to behavior in this Chapter 2 flashcard quiz. Each card presents a word and its definition to help reinforce your knowledge on fundamental concepts. Review these essential terms to prepare for further studies in behavior analysis.