Chapter 6 Developing Behavioral Persistence Through the Use of Intermittent Reinforcement.

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


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


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…


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.


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…


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 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 Generalization

Physical Similarity: stimulus class

Common characteristics: stimulus class, concept

Equivalence class


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

Chapter 6 Developing Behavioral Persistence Through the Use of Intermittent Reinforcement.

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Transcript of Chapter 6 Developing Behavioral Persistence Through the Use of Intermittent Reinforcement.