Intervention Paper

The data paths in each phase of Figure 10 appear different due to the principles of classical conditioning. Prior to conditioning, the sound that accompanied delivery of reinforcement was a neutral stimulus. As such, it could not yet elicit a drinking response from the subject. The behaviour of the subject was therefore influenced by its phylogeny and previous learning history and not the presentation of the sound of a water droplet.

A variable interval schedule works on an average time schedule, with the actual interval varying randomly. A variable schedule is shown to cultivate more positive rates of response than a consistent schedule. Meanwhile the roommate will be partially reinforced. This means that he will not be reinforced for every time that he loses weight, but only at random intervals. This partial reinforcement is shown to slow down the extinction rates of the desired behavior. Next, we will set the average time interval to be five days. For example, after the first day of the month when the roommate is initially weighed, we will weigh him seven days after the initial weigh in, and then 3 days after that. By doing this, the average weigh in time is still five days. However, the actual interval is still at random. Lastly, only various times that the roommate loses weight, he will receive his gold star as a stimulus for positive reinforcement. After one month of receiving positive reinforcement in the form of a gold star, the roommate will understand what he should be doing to lose weight.

Reinforcement is the main contributing factor in operant conditioning. There is more than one way to go about establishing reinforcement, if a delay occurs between the response and the reinforcement the response may not become strengthened. It is likely that if the reinforcement occurs immediately after the response that there will be a definite strengthening of the response. Continuous reinforcement is when reinforcement occurs at every instance of the desired response. Intermittent reinforcement occurs when a response is reinforced some of the time. The different schedules of reinforcement influence patterns of response. Intermittent schedules offer greater resistance to extinction than continuous schedules.

This study, conducted as a requirement for an introductory psychology course, was an investigation of how learning principles such as reinforcement and punishment could be applied to improve conditions in everyday life. In particular, I was studying to see if positive reinforcement would help me to increase my daily water intake. Conceptually defined, daily water intake is the act of drinking water by mouth on a day-to-day basis, in order to keep body cells hydrated and functional. The positive reinforcement I used was a treat of bite-sized Hershey bars, a candy of chocolate. I had hypothesized that I would remember to drink water more often during the day if I rewarded myself for remembering during the intervention period.

Keeping in mind that identifying the variables that maintain problem behavior (reinforcement) is more affective for treatment selection (Mevers, Fisher, Kelley, and Fredrick, 2014), one common treatment for problem behavior is Noncontingent reinforcement. (Carr, Severston, & Lepper, 2009). NCR is used in combination with extinction for problem behavior and involves dense schedules of reinforcement that are decreased gradually (as cited in; Phillips, Iannaccone, Rooker, and Hagopian, 2017). The problem behavior may be replaced by an alternative behavior already existing in the individual repertoire, during NCR (Virues-Ortega, Iwata, Fahmie, and Harper, 2013). The American Psychological Association’s Division 12 criteria for empirically supported treatments established NCR and extinctions as an effective treatment for problem behavior (Chambless & Hollon, 1998). When the schedules of NCR are dense there is a reduction of the Motivating operation (MO) for problem behavior (as cited in; Phillips, Iannaccone, Rooker, and Hagopian, 2017). NCR is more effective when the same reinforcement maintaining the behavior (functional reinforcement) is used in the contingency instead of an alternative reinforcement (as cited in Phillips,iannaccone, Rooker, & Hagopian, 2017). Thus, the same reinforcement responsible for maintaining problem behavior should be used in an NCR contingency (Vollmer et al. 1993). In a study by Phillips, Iannaccone, Rooker, & Hagopian (2017), Non-contingent

Response to intervention, also known as RTI, is a multi-tiered system for early identification and a process that implements support for students with learning and behavioral needs. There is no standardized system for RTI, therefore there are variations and many ways to implement and initiate these services. Typically these services are broken down into steps or tiers, in order to ensure all students are being universally screened and are receiving the help they need.

Rain in a Dry Land is a documentary about two Somalian Bantu families who are given the opportunity to relocate to the United States in 2004 for a new start after living ten years in a Kenyan refugee camp. These families had to flee their homes to escape the constant warfare that had plagued their area; as a result they ended up in a refugee camp. The one family had their two daughters lost to them because of the attack on their people in their village. These two families enter America with some knowledge about the country, but no actual experience, therefore these people enter as Muslim, immigrants and of a completely different culture than Americans are used to. The two families have to learn to work in America, to school their children

This paper will discuss about alcohol and substance abuse in the workplace, and the proper evidence based practice interventions for treatment to help the issue. I will discuss background information about the problem and why it is importance of why this topic needs to be addressed. I will also discuss evidence based interventions that have been proven to help those who have a problem with alcohol and substance abuse in the workplace. This will be done by reviewing different articles written by researchers about the problem and how they used interventions to help solve it. Finally, I will explain whether or not I would implement the use of these interventions in my current practice as a social worker.

I chose to investigate intermittent schedule of reinforcement because I predict a relationship between intermittent schedules of reinforcement and why individuals stay in abusive relationships. As I was exploring Sniffy, the virtual rat, I have realized that we are able to punish Sniffy for pressing the bar. After realizing that, I ran three quick trials as a part of an operant conditioning experiment. At first, I put Sniffy on a continuous schedule and conditioned him to press the bar every time he wanted food. Secondly, I put him on an extinction schedule, and punished him for each bar press. In time, Sniffy demonstrated a gradual decrease in the association between sound and food. Before extinction could fully occur, lastly, I put Sniffy

The use of reinforcement has been shown in multiple studies in treating disorders such as anxiety and substance use. It is most commonly used during behavioral cognitive therapy to change people 's way of thinking and actions. The outcomes of reinforcement in these treatments have shown an overall positive effect with the disorder being shown at a lesser degree or disappearing completely. Reinforcement is described as the process by which a stimulus increases the probability that a preceding behavior will occur again according to the Essentials of Understanding Psychology, 10th Edition, by Robert Feldman. Different researchers have used varying techniques of reinforcement to best suit a subject or experiment. There is positive

Reading this week’s chapter has really opened my eyes about what exactly goes in to

The Dependent Variable was identified as the motivating operations. The independent variables were the behavioral function of the motivating operation; as the MO could operate as both as a reinforcer or punisher and having the ability to increase or decrease the effectiveness of a consequence or intervention. (p.408) Through the studying of previous research it was identified that the term Abolishing Operations should also be utilized to define operations that have abolishing effects. In the review of previous research; the Northrup et al (1997) utilized methylphenidate as an AO for food coupons and as an EO for food related to activity reinforcers.(p.409) in the Horner et al. (1997) utilized motivating effects of

This experiment was conducted by Hodos (1961) to find the largest number of responses a rat will make to obtain a reward, otherwise known as the break point. Four albino rats were used as subjects and trained to lever press in order to receive 0.05 ml of condensed milk. Free feeding rats were placed on a progressive ratio schedule during which the number of responses needed for a reinforcer increased each time by two (two, four, six, etc). The condensed milk was diluted with varying amounts of water on various days of the experiment. An indirect relationship was found between- the rates of responding declined (lower break points) as the level of milk dilution increased. The rats were retested at on a restricted feeding schedule during which

Joachim and Carroll allowed participants in the study conducted to select among reinforcers before each session. Thus, the type of

Reinforcement schedules are rules for when a behaviour will be reinforced. They produce specific predictable patterns of behaviour and depend greatly on how the behaviour is reinforced. When behaviours that were previously rewarded are no longer reinforced, the association the individual has about its environment no longer accurately predicts what will occur and the behaviour will experience extinction. One predictable phenomenon related to the process of extinction is spontaneous recovery. If rest occurs after extinction and then the individual is placed back in the same environment it will engage in the initial response behaviour. This reappearance of the extinguished behaviour is called spontaneous recovery. By conditioning the subject to different fixed and variable reinforcement schedules, the behavioural response effects of each are able to be observed. The number of bar press behaviours the subject emitted during the primary and secondary extinction sessions can be used to compare the endurance of the conditioned behaviour through extinction. Previous research indicates that variable ratio reinforcement schedules are the most productive and resistant to extinction (Ferster & Skinner, 1957).