Psychology 3214

Spring 2021

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 the relationship between the instrumental activity and the contingent activity and how it relates to other response --> consequence descriptions by Hull, Meehl, and Skinner.

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. Construct a hypothetical baseline of 4 activities for a boy. 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 and his punishment principle.

8. It is all about the baseline. Construct a hypothetical baseline of 4 activities for a boy. How should you think about the baseline according to Response Deprivation theory? Set up contingencies that should work and should not work according to Timberlake and Allison's "Response Deprivation" principle.

9. It is all about the Law of Effect. Know the general approach of Hull, Skinner, Meehl, Premack and Timberlake & Allison to the issue of prediction of whether and why an event/activity will function as a reinforcer. And don't forget about Guthrie's alternative approach.