Unlearned Reinforcers and Aversive Conditions Chapters 9
Unlearned Reinforcers A stimulus, event, or condition that is a reinforcer, though not as a result of pairing with another reinforcer
Unlearned Aversive Condition A stimulus, event, of condition that is aversive, though not as a result of pairing with other aversive conditions
Deprivation & Satiation Most common examples of establishing operations
Deprivation Withholding a reinforcer increases relevant learning and performance
Satiation Consuming a substantial amount of reinforcer temporarily decreases relevant learning and performance
WATER DEPRIVATION? DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Before: Rudolph has no water After: Rudolph has water Behavior: Rudolph presses the lever Deprivation: Rudolph has not had water for 12 hours
WATER SATIATION? DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Before: Rudolph has no water After: Rudolph has water Behavior: Rudolph presses the lever Satiation: Rudolph has had free access to water
Establishing Operation A procedure that affects learning and performance with respect to a particular reinforcer or aversive condition
“Please pass the salt.”
Assume salt is an unlearned reinforcer When will I ask for salt? If I am reinforced by receiving salt when I ask for it, why don’t I ask for salt all the time?
SALT DEPRIVATION? DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Before: Jane has bland eggs After: Jane has no bland eggs Behavior: Jane asks for salt on eggs Deprivation: Jane has not had salt
How do satiation & deprivation effect learning? Deprivation at the time of reinforcement in creases the impact the delivery of a single reinforcer has on the subsequent frequency of the reinforced response.
How do satiation and deprivation effect performance? Deprivation at the time to perform that response increases the frequency of that previously reinforced and thus previously learned response.
SEX & RABBITS? Copulation is frequent, initially, but slows Before: Rabbit has no sexual stimulation After: Rabbit has sexual stimulation Behavior: Rabbit copulates Satiation: Rabbit has recently had sexual stim
Fill this in for Rudolph the Rat Before: Rudolph has no sexual stimulation After:Behavior: Rudolph copulates Deprivation:
Premack Principal If one activity occurs more often than another, the opportunity to do the most frequent activity will reinforce the less frequent activity. Premack’s idea was to observe what an organism does
No Contingent Relationship Between Bar Pressing & Eating
Premack’s idea was to take what an organism does to be important
Test Suppose a water deprived rat spends more time drinking water than pressing a lever in a test chamber. How could the Premack Principle be applied in this case?
Answer? 1.Make drinking water contingent on lever pressing or 2.Make lever pressing contingent on drinking water