22 Questions
What is the concept of instinctive drift, as described by Breland and Breland (1961)?
The tendency of an animal to revert to its innate behavior, interfering with conditioning processes.
What did Breland and Breland (1961) identify as the best behavioral model for teaching operant conditioning in the classroom?
Chickens
What was the primary focus of the IQ Zoo, a tourist attraction in Hot Springs?
Showcasing the abilities of trained animals
What did Breland and Breland (1961) observe in their training of animals, which led to the concept of instinctive drift?
Innate responses interfered with conditioned behaviors.
What is the term for the process by which food reinforcement can elicit innate food-related behaviors in animals?
Food foraging response
What was the primary goal of Breland and Breland's work, as described in the text?
To study the limitations of operant conditioning
What are some common phobias that humans may develop?
Spiders, snakes, heights, and darkness
What type of schedules can contribute to schedule-induced behaviours?
Fixed-interval schedules
What is an example of schedule-induced behaviour in humans?
Excessive drinking
What is the term for excessive or 'abnormal' behaviours that occur during fixed-interval schedules?
Adjunctive behaviours
Who wrote the article 'The Misbehavior Of Organisms'?
Breland, K. and Breland, M.
What is the title of the chapter that discusses the limits of learning?
The Limits of Learning
Who wrote the article 'Phobias and Preparedness'?
Seligman, M.E.P.
What is an example of an 'instinctive' appetitive behaviour that can occur excessively in humans?
Drinking
What is the basis of Bob Bailey's operant conditioning courses for dog trainers?
Breland and Breland's chicken training workshops
What is the primary reason for conditioned taste aversion?
Evolutionary adaptation to avoid poisonous foods
How many pairings are typically required for an association to develop in most conditioning?
More than one pairing
What is the term used to describe the biologically programmed predisposition to be conditioned in certain ways and not others?
Preparedness
What is the consequence of eating a particular food followed by nausea?
Conditioned taste aversion
What is the purpose of conditioned taste aversion from an evolutionary perspective?
To increase chance of survival
What is the relationship between taste and nausea in conditioned taste aversion?
Animals make connections between taste and nausea
Who is associated with the concept of preparedness in conditioning?
Martin Seligman
Study Notes
Biological Constraints on Conditioning
- Instinctive drift occurs when innate response tendencies interfere with conditioning processes, causing a decline in the effectiveness of an operant response reinforced by food.
- Examples of instinctive drift include pigs or raccoons depositing coins in a piggy bank, illustrating how food reinforcement can elicit innate food foraging and handling behaviors.
- Breland and Breland (1961) identified instinctive drift as a biological constraint on conditioning, highlighting the importance of considering innate behaviors in learning processes.
Conditioned Taste Aversion
- Aversions to food can develop if eating a particular food is followed by nausea, as animals readily make connections between taste and nausea.
- This makes sense from an evolutionary perspective, as animals that learn to avoid food that has made them sick are more likely to survive.
Preparedness and Phobias
- Martin Seligman suggests that preparedness is a biologically programmed, species-specific predisposition to be conditioned in certain ways and not others.
- Humans appear easily to develop phobias to stimuli such as spiders, snakes, heights, and darkness, which may have helped the survival of early ancestors.
Schedule-Induced Behaviours
- Excessive or aberrant behaviors can occur during fixed-interval schedules, typically just after reinforcement.
- Examples include polydipsia (excessive drinking), excessive wheel-running, and excessive aggression in non-human animals.
- In humans, excessive levels of instinctive appetitive behaviors (eating, drinking) can also occur, potentially contributing to issues like excessive drinking or alcoholism.
This quiz covers biological constraints on conditioning, instinctive drift, conditioned taste aversion, preparedness, and phobias in the context of biological and learning psychology. It discusses the work of Breland and Breland (1961) on food reinforcement and innate food foraging behavior.
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