Behavioural Analysis

Positive reinforcement is;

an event which causes the immediately preceding behaviour to increase in frequency

Operant behaviors or responses

behaviors or responses influenced by their consequences

Types of reinforcers

Consumable, Activity, Manipulatable, Possessions, Social

Premack

Opportunity to engage in a high probability behavior can be used to strengthen a low probability behavior

Effective Reinforcement involves consideration of;

Motivating Operations
Reinforcer - choice, size, immediacy, contingency and transitioning to natural reinforcers.
Specifying - the behavior required, rules.

Unconditioned Reinforcers

are reinforcing without prior learning (e.g. physiological needs) (primary reinforcers).

Conditioned Reinforcers

are reinforcing because of pairing with other reinforcers. (secondary reinforcers)

Back-up Reinforcers

occur when a stimuli becomes a reinforcer through association with another reinforcer. They are used to establish and maintain strength of conditioned reinforcers. E.g. clickers and fish

Generalized Conditioned reinforcer

CR paired with different kinds of reinforcers (preferred type)

Simple Reinforcer

CR paired with a single back-up reinforcer

Extinction

Operant: when previously reinforced behavior is no longer reinforced then the behavior becomes less frequent.
Respondent: presenting the Conditioned Stimulus without further pairing with Unconditioned Stimulus, the ability of the Conditioned Stimulus to produce the Conditioned Reinforcer is weakened.

Extinction bursts

Occurring during Extinction procedure, an increase in the behaviour (frequency or intensity).

Reinforcement Schedules

rules specifying which occasion of the behavior will be reinforced

Fixed Ratio schedule of reinforcement

Reinforcement occurs after a set number of responses.

Fixed Interval schedule of reinforcement

Reinforcement occurs after a fixed period of time.

Variable Ratio schedule of reinforcement

Number of responses required for reinforcement varies randomly around the mean of a specified number of responses.

Variable Interval schedule of reinforcement

Period of time elapsed before reinforcement varies randomly around a mean period of time.

Fixed Duration schedule of reinforcement

Duration of response required for reinforcement fixed

Variable duration schedule of reinforcement

Duration of response required for reinforcement varies randomly around a mean duration

Character of Fixed Ratio schedule of reinforcement.

High steady rate of responding, PRP, high RTE

Character of Variable Ratio schedule of reinforcement

High steady rate of responding, small PRP, can be increase more abruptly, high RTE.

Character of Fixed Interval schedule of reinforcement

Response rate increasing gradually near the end of the interval, PRP, PRP length depends on the schedule value.

Character of Variable Interval schedule of reinforcement

Steady, moderate rate of responding, no PRP, high RTE, lower response rate during Fading procedure

Limited-Hold schedules of reinforcement

Defined time after reinforcer available that response will produce it.

Character of Fixed Duration schedules of reinforcement

Duration of behavior required for reinforcement fixed.

Character of Fixed Duration schedules of reinforcement

Long period of continuous behavior, no PRP

Differential Reinforcement of Low Rate (DRL)

reinforcement occurs only when response is at low rate

Limited responding DRL

maximum allowable number of responses specified per session

Spaced responding DRL

reinforcement occurs if behaviour does no occur during interval AND a response occurs after the interval has elapsed.

Differential Reinforcement of Other response (DRO)

Only reinforcement if response does not occur during interval.

Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible response (DRI)

Reinforcement only occurs when specified incompatible response occurs (e.g. sitting versus standing).

Differential Reinforcement of Alternative response (DRA)

extinction of problem behavior combined with reinforcing topographically dissimilar to (not necessarily incompatible with) the problem behavior. (e.g. compliance and aggression)

Fading

gradually changing the stimulus controlling response and transferring stimulus control of to a new stimuli.

Shaping

The development of new behavior by reinforcing closer approximations to the desired behavior

Shaping dimensions

Topography
Frequency
Duration
Latency
Intensity

Chaining

A sequence of discriminative stimuli and response, each response (except the last) produces the discriminative stimuli for the next response.

Punishment

Event presented immediately following a behavior that causes the behavior to decrease in frequency.

Types of punishment

Pain inducing
Reprimands
Time Outs

Types of Time Out

Exclusionary
Non exclusionary

Non-exclusionary Time Out

Introducing a stimuli associated with less reinforcement

Exclusionary Time Out

Placing the individual in a less reinforcing environment.

Consequences of Punishment

Aggression, anger and resentment

Escape conditioning

The removal of an aversive stimuli immediate after response, strengthening the response.

Avoidance Conditioning

A response prevents an aversive stimuli from occurring, thereby increasing the frequency of the behavior.

Warning Stimulus

Conditioned Aversive Stimulus enabling discriminated avoidance conditioning.

Control

An operant is available.

Predictability

A cue or signal

Response Rate

Association between stimuli and behavior

Relevant feedback

Conditioned reinforcer

Negative feedback

Punisher

Sidman Avoidance Conditioning

No warning stimuli used. A designated response delay aversive stimuli.