Download 18 - Angelfire

Psych 356
04/15/2010
1
Chapter 10-cont’d
I.
Avoidance Theory
- Avoidance develops BUT, it must occur quickly..or else
Ex: You could be bitten by a snack
A.
Safety Signal: Response feedback stimuli in the environment signal the absence
of aversive stimulation
a. Suggests that one has a built in avoidance and gives a positive reinforcement
b. These “safety signals” may serve as positive reinforcers
i. Ex: A “rough neighborhood” may elicit fear
ii. Ex: Elm street may elicit safety
B.
Shock Frequency: Avoidance of the aversive stimulus is the critical determinant
of responding
a. Subjects distribute behaviors to maximally decrease aversive stimuli
Choice behaviors in Rats
Choice behavior in humans
Schedule 1
V13 => decrease shock
 Rat will determine how to decrease
Shock #
Organic Chemistry
American History
Perception
Organic Laboratory
Schedule 2
FR25 => decrease shock
You try to distribute studying to decrease failing
C.
SSDR(Species specific defense reactions): Aversive stimuli elicit strong
unconditioned responses
- Environment determines the response
SSDR in rats
PREDATOR
Flight
Freezing
Fighting
SSDR in humans
Bully
Lie
Cheat
Bolt
- Subjects cycle through possible SSDR and are punished by choosing the
incorrect SSDR
C.
Predator Imminence (essentially the same as SSDR): The likelihood of
predator appearance, detection and contact determine avoidance behavior
a. Similar to SSDR in that US’s are determinants of responding
b. DOES NOT postulate a role for punishment like SSDR
***Be sure to discriminate between everything
II.
Punishment
Psych 356
04/15/2010
2
A.
Background
B.
Analysis
Procedure: Presentation of an aversive stimulus after a specified response
- Can only be studies with responses that are ikely to occur
- In the lab, this often means punishment of reinforced behaviors
Aversive stimuli
- Electric shock
- The slap
- The scolding
- Time out
Time out: Punishment of omission?
O’Donnell et al., 2000: Punishment:
- Students reinforced to press lever for points
- Phase 1: Baseline
----------------- SD- points
----------------- no points
-Phase 2: Point loss
----------------- SD- points
----------------- SD- lose points
- Behavior to SD is maintained and behavior to SD is suppressed
D.
Characteristics
- The characteristics of the aversive stimulus determine its effectiveness
1.
2.
increase Intensity, increase suppression of behavior
increase Duration, increase suppression of behavior
- In order of stimulus exposure is also important
- High intensity before low intensity most effectively suppresses behavior
- The characteristics of the aversive stimulus determine its effectiveness:
3.
Contingency: Response-dependent behaviors (instrumental responding)
are more easily modified by punishment
4.
Delays in punishment may render it totally ineffective
D.
Intermittent
- Like positive reinforcement, punishment can be delivered intermittently
Azin et al., 1963
Psych 356
04/15/2010
3
- Pigeons trained on a VI schedule to lever press for positive reinforcement
- Various FR schedules of shock introduced
- More frequent punishment led to increase response suppression
E.
Availability of Options
- The availability of alternative reinforcement determines punishment effectiveness
- When a punished response is the only way to obtain a positive reinforce it is less likely
to be suppressed
Ex: poppy farmers
- Offering alternative responses hasten suppression of the target behavior
Ex: shoe-chewing puppy
- Punishment can also come under stimulus control
E.
III.
Discriminative Punishment: target responding is punished in the presence of a
discriminative stimulus, but not punished when that stimulus is absent
a. Ex: party at our house
b. Ex: speed traps
Theories of Punishment
- Can punishment serve as a cue for positive reinforcement?
- Attention can serve as a strong positive reinforcement
- If a child has a tendency to seek attention, punishment may serve as attention
- Thus, they will actually increase behaviors that result in punishment
How would u combat this problem?
A.
Conditioned Emotional Response Theory: punishment suppresses behavior by
conditioning pre-response cues with fear reactions incompatible with the targeted
response
a. Ex: electric dog fence
i. Cues in the yard will elicit fear and freezing incompatible w/ escape
B.
Avoidance Theory of Punishment: organisms learn to circumvent conditioned
aversive stimuli by responding with avoidance behaviors that are incompatible with the punished
response
- punishment actually, strengthens avoidance responding
Ex: punish the underage drinking AND provide the “lockdown” prom
night
IV.
Misuses of Punishment( why it is frowned upon)
1) First punishment is low intensity
2) Often intermittent
3) Usually delayed
4) Clear discriminative stimuli are present
5) Punishment may be a source of attention