Exam 4: Increasing a Behavior With Positive Reinforcement

Describe the treatment condition for Darren's program.

Give an example of noncontingent reinforcement that is not in this chapter.

Give an example of contingent reinforcement that is not in this chapter.

"It is always the individual's performance that tells you whether or not you have selected an effective reinforcer." Explain what this means.

Is it correct to conclude that a withdrawn child necessarily does not like attention from other people? Explain.

State the Partial-Knowledge Misapplication Pitfall. How is this pitfall exemplified by Coach Keedwell?

What is adventitious reinforcement? What is a superstitious behavior? Give an example of each that is not in this chapter.

When Coach Keedwell required young swimmers to show improved performance in order to earn a fun activity at the end of practice, their performance improved dramatically. Was this a direct-acting or an indirect-acting effect of reinforcement? Justify your choice.

How do some authors use the terms direct and indirect contingencies of reinforcement? What suggestions do the authors of this text make regarding that usage, and why?

Describe the baseline condition for Darren's program.

Define negative reinforcement and give an example that is not from this chapter.

Does extrinsic reinforcement undermine intrinsic motivation? Discuss.

Using the definition of positive reinforcer, describe the steps to test if a particular item is a reinforcer for someone. Illustrate with an example that is not from this chapter.

Distinguish between the direct- and indirect-acting effects of reinforcement.

Discuss evidence that people's behavior can be modified without their being aware of it.

Briefly describe, in a sentence each, eight factors that influence the effectiveness of reinforcement.

Consider this statement: "A college student was reinforced for studying for three hours on the weekend by getting a good grade on the test the following week." How does this statement exemplify the Inaccurate-Explanation-of-Behavior Pitfall?

State the second type of Inaccurate-Explanation-of-Behavior Pitfall, and give an example.