Instrumental Conditioning

A typical independent variable in instrumental conditioning procedures is the number of response-contingent events ( e.g., the number of food-reinforced responses).  Another independent variable that is often manipulated is a discriminative stimulus (i.e. the presence and absence of a discriminative stimulus.

Typical dependent variables:

Discrete trial procedures: response latency; response time; # of errors

Free-Operant procedures: cumulative responses; response rate

1. Skinner's 3-term contingency:

Discriminative stimulus S, operant (response; r), reinforcer (event; s*)

2. What associations are learned during behavior-event learning

4 types of associations are possible in instrumental conditioning. They are R-S*, S-R,  S-S* and S(R-S*)

1. The R-S* association is emphasized by cognitive and teleological explanations of instrumental conditioning. 

2. S-R associations was emphasized by Thorndike (an S-R theorist); here the R was seen as an elicited response

3. S-S* associations are emphasized by cognitive behaviorists. This association is essentially the CS-UCS association of classical conditioning procedures

4. S(R-S*) is a higher-order relation which was first suggested by Skinner; here the R is seen as an emitted response

3. Behavior maintained on Partial (Intermittent) Schedules of Reinforcement

Independent variables: relationship between reinforcement, number of responses and/or time since last response.

a. Simple schedules

  1. Ratio Schedules (variable & fixed)
  2. Interval Schedules (variable & fixed)

Dependent variable: cumulative responses

Some descriptive terms of data seen in cumulative records include: post-reinforcement pause (PRP), scallops, and ratio run.

b. Concurrent schedules

  1. study of choice behavior
  2. matching law

Dependent Variable: number of responses; percent responding

c. Chained schedules

Dependent variable: cumulative chained reponses

  1. Partial Reinforcement Extinction Effect (PREE)
  1. Description of phenomenon
  2. Explanation of phenomenon (discrimination hypothesis, Sequential Theory, frustration theory))

     

    Four different contingent relations in instrumental conditioning

    positive reinforcement

    negative reinforcement

    positive punishment,

    negative punishment (omission; time-out)

    NOTE: the first term (positive or negative) describes the contingent relationship that exists between the behavior and the event; the second term describes the observed change in behavior caused by the contingent relationship, an increase (reinforcement) or a decrease (punishment).