Define These Behaviour Modification Applications Flashcards

Stimulus generlization is the procedure of reinforcing a repsonse in the presence of a stimulus or situation, and the effect of the response becoming more probable in the presence of another stimulus or sitiation. Basically, a person responds the same way to two different stimuli. An example of this would be: a child seeing a black cat and calling it a cat, then seeing a black dog and calling it a cat as well.

Stimulus generalization refers to the transfer, or reinforcing a response when another stimulation/situation and the effect of becoming more likely in its presence. Ex) Child in habit of swearing now swears in a different situation, at home, and there will be a different result than at school. Parents are likely to punish/reprimand the child’s word choice. Stimulus discrimination is a response occurring to a stimulus which will be reinforced. Ex) When a child sears at school, stimulus of peers increases this behaviour as they reinforce it.

Common-class: more unlearned; same object but different form; common characteristics Equivalence class: more learned; one common element but different items; no common characteristics

The more physically similar two responses are, the more unlearned response generalization will occur between them. If you learn a forehand shot in racquetball, chances are that you would be able to perform a forehand shot in squash or tennis. The responses involved are very similar. Likewise, you will probably find roller blading easier to learn if you have already learned to ice skate because the responses involved in the two activities are similar.

1. Train in the target situation.
Make the final stages of the training situation as similar to the target situation in as many ways as possible. An example of this could be if a parent wants their child to count out the right change to buy a bag of candy. The ideal place to do this would be in a store that sells candy (of course, some preliminary training in a controlled setting may be necessary)

2. Vary the Training Conditions.
This might be done by conducting training sessions with relatively little control over the stimuli in the presence of which correct responses are reinforced. An example could be performing an experiment with various noises in the background such as traffic.

3. Program Common Stimuli.
This is done by developing the behaviour to specific stimuli that are present in both the training and target stimuli. An example could be a program in which social and academic classroom behaviours are taught to children in a remedial classroom. Generalization to the regular academic classroom was ensured by using the same academic materials in both classrooms.

4. Train Sufficient Stimulus Exemplars.
This technique increases the probability of appropriate generalization to new stimuli and situations because of the large number and variety of stimuli and situations to which training has occurred. An example could be training someone in different areas like in the schoolyard, classroom, home, etc.

A: General case programming is a variation of training sufficient stimulus exemplars. This is where the instructor will introduce the range of relevant stimulus in which the learner will be expected to respond and response variations that might be required. For example, a teacher may have a variety of drink machines for a person with a developmental disability to learn how to use and the responses in which will make the vending machine produce the drink.

1. Programming operant response generalization -
Train sufficient response exemplars - a strategy for programming response generalization is similar to training sufficient stimulus exemplars to esyablish stimulus generalization.

Example: You are teaching your class how to distinguish between odd and even numbers. 1 is odd 2 is even therefore 3 is odd and 4 is even. They are reinforced each time until they were capable of distinguishing odd and even numbers on their own (p 195, 4).

2. Vary the acceptable response during training -
Varying the responses that are acceptable during training.

Example: Developing creativity and reinforced children during block building. For any response that was different from prior block buliding responses. Therefore led to an increase in the childrens creative block building (p. 195, 5) * can't come up w/ my own example .

3. Capitalize on behavioral principles and procedures -
By capaitalizing on behavioral momentum, which is a momentary increase in the probability of some response occuring as a result of one or more functionally equivalent responses having been reinforced.

Example: You are teaching you're child how to do long division for their homework. As your child does one step correctly, you reinforce them by saying "Exellent job, go on keep going". You reinforce your son and shortly the hard part comes next. Your childs probability has increased the chances of doing the next step correctly (p 196, 1).

1) Behaviour trapping is a method for programming operant behaviour maintenance in which the natural contingencies of reinforcement are allowed to take effect (p.196). For example, when teaching a child to walk, the teacher may use an object to coax the child towards it by walking. The sight of the object is an antecedent stimulus. Receiving the object is a reinforcer for the behaviour (walking). When the child learns how to walk, the natural environment has natural contingencies of reinforcement such as arriving at a place an individual wants to be at, that will program operant behaviour maintenance. 2) Change the behaviour of people in the natural environment is a method for programming operant behaviour maintenance which involves “actually changing the behaviour of people in the target situation so that they will maintain a learner’s behaviour that has generalized from the training situation”. For example, a child may be taught not to slap at daycare by punishing this undesirable behaviour with a timeout. This will be carried out during regular daycare days and not at a simulated training environment. 3) An intermittent schedule of reinforcement should be used in the target situation to develop behaviour persistances, resistance from extinction and allow it to become under the control of reinforcers found in the natural environment. For example, to program operant behaviour maintenance of eating vegetables at dinner, a parent may reinforce this desirable behaviour by allowing the child to have extra play time or a dessert. 4) An individual should be given control of their own behaviour to program operant behaviour maintenance. For example, if a soccer player completes his endurance training on his own schedule and records it, he should follow this desirable behaviour will reinforcement, for example buying a cold drink at the nearby convenience store, in order to produce behaviour maintenance.

: An example of stimulus generalization of a desirable behaviour to an inappropriate situation can often be seen among individuals with developmental disabilities involving greetings and displays of affection. Of course, it is highly desirable for these behaviours to occur under appropriate circumstances, but when an individual walks up to and hugs a total stranger, the results can be less than favourable. An example of stimulus generalization of an undesirable behaviour from the situation it developed to a new situation for which it is also undesirable would be, suppose that an overly protective grandparent while supervising a grandchild who is learning how to walk provides a great deal of attention each time the child falls. As a result, falling increases in frequency. When the child returns to the parents, the excessive falling might generalize to their presence as well.

A rule describes a situation in which a behavior will lead to a consequence. Example: If you don’t take your shoes off when you enter the house, you will have to wash the floor.

Behaviour that develops because of its immediate consequences is called contingency –shaped behaviour. For example operating the Blu-ray Disc Player by just pushing the buttons and adjusting what you push because of the consequences without“paying attention” to what you are doing.

Rules that describe a behaviour specially is more likely to be followed than a rule that describes a vague behaviour. A rule that describes specific circumstances in which the behaviour should occur is more likely to be followed than a rule that describes the circumstances vaguely or not at all. Rules are likely to be followed if they identify behaviour for which the consequence are highly probable even though they might be delayed. Rules that describe sizeable consequences are likely to be effective. Rules that describe specific circumstance sand deadlines for specific behaviours that will leave to sizable and probable outcomes are often effective even when the outcomes are delayed.

1. Specific Goals are more effective than vague goals: Rather than a goal of having a better relationship, a couple might agree to spend half an hour of quantity time together or to tell each other daily at least three things that they appreciate about their relationship. Or instead of saying to just "lose weight", it is more effective to have a goal of losing 10 pounds. 2. Goals with respect to learning specific skills should include mastery criteria: A mastery criterion is a specific guideline for performing a skill so that if the guideline is met, the skill is likely to be mastered. This means that an individual who has met a mastery criterion for a skill has learned it well enough o perform it correctly upon demand or when it is necessary to do so. 3. Goals should identify the circumstances under which the desirable behaviour should occur: A goal for a wrestler to practice takedowns is somewhat vague. A goal to practice arm-drag take downs until three in a row occur adds a quantity dimension but still does not indicate the circumstances under which the behaviour should occur. A goal to practice arm-drag takedowns until three in a row occur on an opponent offering moderate resistance identifies the circumstances surrounding the performance 4. Realistic, challenging goals are more effective than do-your-best goals: A number of studies have demonstrated that do-your-best goals are not nearly as effective as are specific goals for improving performance. This may be because they are vague. An instructor who identifies with a specific goal for a learner is more likely to consistently provide reinforcement for meeting the goal than is an instructor who simply gives the learner a do-your-best goal. 5. Goal setting is more effective if deadlines are included: Each of us has a history of positive reinforcement for meeting various deadlines and for encountering aversive consequences when we don't meet them. Capitalizing on this history increases the effectiveness of goal setting. 6. Goal setting plus feedback is more effective than goal setting alone: Goals are more likely to be met if feedback indicates the degree of progress toward the goal. One way of providing feedback is to chart the progress being made.

goal setting is most effective when individuals are committed to the goals
public goals are more effective than private goals

A mastery criterion is a specific guideline for performing a skill, so that when the guideline is met, the skill is likely to be mastered. In other words, when an individual has met a mastery criterion for a skill, they have learned it well enough that they can perform it correctly when asked or when it is necessary. An example of mastery criterion would be an actor reciting his lines in a play.

- Arrange for peers to be models - Arrange for the modeled behaviour to be seen to be effective - Use multiple models - Combine modeling with rules