Response Burst

The extinction burst, is noticed as an increase in frequency, duration and intensity of an unreinforced behavior during the extinction process. Once the extinction process is successful. Then the effect of extinction is known as the disappearance of a previously learned behavior when the behavior is not reinforced. However, the term extinction is mainly associated with operant conditioning as well as respondent conditioning which is:

Specifically, how might a reinforcer assessment have been relevant to this? (pg. 8) The reason why the reinforcement procedure did work might have to do with the lack of preference assessment of reinforcer because if a preference assessment was conducted, the frequency of the response will increase. I also think that the reinforcement procedure didn’t work because the organism might be satiated to the reinforcer.

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.

Within the concept of operant conditioning, there are various simple schedules of reinforcement that are a part of our daily routine. Operant conditioning is a category of learning that invokes consequences, either negative or positive, as a way to increase or decrease behaviors (Powel, Honey & Symbaluk, 2013, p. 264) Schedules of reinforcement, such as fixed ratio, variable interval, fixed interval and variable ratio, are used as ways to strengthened or weaken those wanted or unwanted behaviors (Powel, Honey & Symbaluk, 2013, pp. 271-279). When applying these fundamental concepts to real world scenarios, it is crucial to first acknowledge which behavior is to be strengthened or weakened and then proceed with the conditioning.

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

Classical and operant conditioning are two important concepts central to behavioral psychology. While both result in learning, the processes are quite different. In order to understand how each of these behavior modification techniques can be used, it is also essential to understand how classical conditioning and operant conditioning differ from one another. Both classical and operant learning are psychological processes that lead to learning. Here learning refers to the process by which changes in behavior, including actions, emotions, thoughts, and the responses of muscles and glands,

will stop the trick which you’re were enjoying. This is called extinction of the operant behavior.

After a behavior, an aversive stimulus may be removed entirely, reduced in intensity or its onset delayed. This is either intentional or unintentional reinforcement provided by another. Can be viewed as escape or avoidance.

This process takes place from the minute we are born. Information is taken in and absorbed, in turn builds one’s ability to retain what one has learned. Many factors aid in the learning process which includes ones environment, past experiences, and one’s emotion which all play a rewarding understanding on how ones sees the world and retain information around them. B. F. Skinner, “who developed the ideas of respondent behavior (that which is brought about by a specific stimulus and can be conditioned) and operant behavior (that which produces consequences that tend to be repeated when reinforced and discontinued when not reinforced). Many different practice models have developed from the theories of the behaviorists, who operate by setting up controlled situations in which behavior can be conditioned and reinforced. These models are widely used in teaching, in treating problems of human relationships, and in working with personal problems that lead to destructive behaviors. As behavior modification develops, certain features are assuming greater importance. One is the detailed specification of objectives with the possibility of sub goals that serve as

Holding or withdrawing reinforcements is call extinction, but for extinction to work it must be used for behaviors that are reinforced by social attention. Extinction can also be effective as a sole treatment, but just like other tools of therapy, it has its limitation. Extinction therapy may work slowly, one out of every four cases result in an extinction outburst, and the target behavior may occur after it has been eliminated. The opposite of extinction is timeout because the actual reinforce for the decoration target behavior is not identified. Timeout from a positive reinforcement involves temporarily withdrawing a client's access to generalize reinforce after the client performs the deceleration target behavior.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the extinction experiment is to gradually decline the response rate with which rat number four presses the lever of the Operant Chamber. Extinction is the schedule of no reinforcement. It works by eliminating the reinforcers or dispensation of food when the rat presses the lever, and the rate of response of the animal declines. In addition, after several days, the rat was placed in the Operant Chamber again for a spontaneous recovery experiment. The purpose for the spontaneous recovery experiment consists of the increase in the rate of responding of the previously extinguished behavior (lever pressing for food). This happens because an animal responds more frequently at the begining of a new session than at the end of the old, although no reinforcement is given during the experiment.

Another strength is that there are practical applications. The model suggests that abnormal behaviours are learnt, thus the best way to treat it to unlearn faulty learning. This suggests that this model can improve the quality of people’s lives, for example desensitisation can be used to treat those with phobias.

Operant conditioning focuses on a system of reinforcement and punishers where actions will have a consequence (Skinner, 2016). In operant conditioning, behaviour that is reinforced will be strengthened while behaviour that is not reinforced will weaken with time (Skinner, 2016). There are three types of operants. The neutral operants that will neither increase nor decrease the chances of repeating a behaviour (Skinner, 2016). The reinforcers will increase the chances of repeating a behaviour (Skinner, 2016). The punishers will decrease the chances of repeating a behaviour (Skinner, 2016). Positive reinforcement strengthens a behaviour as an individual gains rewards through it (Skinner, 2016). Negative reinforcement strengthens the behaviour by removing an unpleasant consequence

Behaviorism has been credited with providing clear predictions that can be scientifically tested and yield explanations that can be supported by evidence. For instance, in the application of Applied Behavioral Analysis in improving clients’ behaviors, the functions of individuals problematic behaviors can be evaluated and modified using behavior change principles including reinforcement. Similarly, behaviorism emphasizes the objective measurement of behaviors through providing clear and conceptual definitions, and its therapy is applicable to real life situations as in the case of anxiety. Conversely, studies incorporated into behaviorism allow for appropriate comparisons between animals and humans as in the Case of Watson’s, Thorndike’s and Pavlov’s studies respectively.

The formal method of instilling learning through reinforcement theory is to use a schedule. According to a fixed schedule, a person is rewarded for performing the behavior a specific number of times; according to a continuous ratio schedule, the reward occurs after every behavior, and according to a variable ratio schedule, the reward does not occur with any predictable consistency when the behavior is performed. The advantages of fixed and continuous rewards are that the behavior is more quickly instilled. The advantage of a variable schedule is that the behavior is less quickly extinguished, given the subject anticipates getting a reward for a longer period of time (Noe 2010: 143).