Psychology 3214 Fall 2023 Study Guide for Test 4 |
1. Terminology is important. (Grammar counts in real life: Would you like to be fine or be fined?) Make sure that you understand the difference between an activity being reinforced and an activity being a reinforcer. Diagram the contingency for "A reinforces B." Diagram the contingency for "A is reinforced by B." 2.
Make sure that you understand Skinner's approach vs Hull's
approach vs Meehl's approach to describing the parts of a
contingency. 3. Understand how the technique of shaping by successive approximations works. What speeds shaping? What slows shaping? 4. Be able to define how FR, VR, FI, and VI schedules of reinforcement operate. 5. Be able to recognize and describe the patterns of responding that develop under FR, VR, FI, and VI schedules of reinforcement as they would appear on a cumulative record. 6. Be able to identify the schedule of reinforcement in operation in concrete situations and make predictions about the expected patterns of behavior. 7.
It is all about the baseline according to Premack. Construct a
hypothetical baseline of 5 activities for a 13-year old boy on
summer vacation. How do you measure these activities? (How
do you compare reading vs playing basketball?) 8. How should you think about the baseline according to Premack? Set up contingencies that should work and should not work according to Premack's reinforcement principle. 9.
Premack and Skinner label this sequence differently:
lever press --> food pellet. Know the differences and
why they do so. 10. It is all about the Law of Effect, still. Know the similarities and differences in approach of Hull, Skinner, Meehl, compared to Premack, on the issue of prediction of whether and why an event/activity will function as a reinforcer. 11.
It is all about application to real life. Know how to
apply the approaches of Hull,
Skinner, Meehl, and Premack to concrete situations.
(Yes, we are adding Premack to the mix.)
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