3.8 Operant Conditioning (Definitions)

What is operant conditioning primarily concerned with?

• The association between two stimuli

• The consequences of behavior

• The observation of others

• The innate reflexes

Who is most closely associated with the development of operant conditioning?

• Ivan Pavlov

• B.F. Skinner

• John Watson

• Albert Bandura

In operant conditioning, what is a reinforcer?

• A stimulus that decreases the likelihood of a behavior

• A stimulus that increases the likelihood of a behavior

• A neutral stimulus

• A conditioned response

Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement?

• Taking away a toy to stop a child from crying

• Giving a dog a treat for sitting on command

• Scolding a student for being late

• Removing a chore for completing homework

What is negative reinforcement?

• Adding a negative consequence to decrease a behavior

• Removing a positive stimulus to decrease a behavior

• Removing an aversive stimulus to increase a behavior

• Adding a positive stimulus to increase a behavior

Which schedule of reinforcement is based on a fixed number of responses?

• Fixed interval

• Variable interval

• Fixed ratio

• Variable ratio

What is the main difference between punishment and reinforcement?

• Punishment increases behavior, reinforcement decreases it

• Punishment decreases behavior, reinforcement increases it

• Punishment and reinforcement both increase behavior

• Punishment and reinforcement both decrease behavior

Which of the following is an example of a primary reinforcer?

• Money

• Praise

• Food

• A trophy

What is shaping in the context of operant conditioning?

• Gradually guiding behavior toward a desired goal

• Punishing undesired behaviors

• Reinforcing only the final desired behavior

• Using a fixed interval schedule

Which of the following is an example of a variable ratio schedule?

• A paycheck every two weeks

• A slot machine payout

• A quiz every Friday

• A bonus for every 10 sales