PSY 205 FINAL EXAM 4 QUESTIONS
AND ALL CORRECT ANSWERS.
Define extinction - Answer stopping the reinforcement of a behavior stops the occurrence of that
behavior
Also: a behavior that has been previously reinforced and no longer results in the reinforcing
consequences and therefore behavior stops occurring in the future
How does the function of a behavior alter extinction procedures? - Answer how the behavior was
reinforced and the occurrence of reinforcement after extinction affects extinction procedures
-intermittent reinforcement that was previously used makes behavior decrease more gradually in the
extinction process
-continuous reinforcement that was previously used it decreases rapidly once reinforcement is
terminated
How does negatively or positively reinforced behavior alter extinction procedures? - Answer A behavior
may undergo extinction regardless of if it was maintained by a positive or negative reinforcer
-the positive reinforcer us no longer delivered after the behavior and the aversive stimulus is no longer
removed after the behavior
What is the difference between extinction and punishment? - Answer Extinction is with holding
reinforcement, a non-event; punishment is removing or adding something to directly decrease behavior
Ex: an employee breaks the rules; firing them (punishment) vs. decreasing pay (extinction, withholding
something already present)
extinction burst - Answer Increase in frequency, duration or intensity of the unreinforced behavior
during the extinction process
-novel behaviors may occur (means new way of trying, like pressing a broken key a different way)
-emotional response or aggressive behavior may occur
When do extinction bursts occur? - Answer when the extinction process has just begun
, EX: when parents no longer come to their child's room when they are crying (taking away attention
reinforcer), at first the child may scream louder than ever to push parents past the breaking point
Strengths and weaknesses of direct assessments - Answer strengths: recording antecedents and
consequences as they occur rather than report from memory
likely to be more accurate
weaknesses: take more time/effort; does not demonstrate a functional relationship but rather a
correlation of antecedents/consequences with the problem behavior
Direct Assessment - Answer A person observes and records the Antecedents and consequences, each
time the problem behavior occurs
AKA ABC observation
strength and weaknesses of indirect assessments - Answer Strengths: helps determine the antecedents
and consequences for the problem behavior
Weaknesses: bias and forgetting can lead to incorrect answers
Indirect assessment - Answer behavioral interviews or questionnaires are used to gather information
from the person exhibiting the problem behavior or from others who know this person well
functional analysis - Answer follow the problem behavior with potential reinforcers to see which
consequences increase the behavior; and/or you present different antecedent events (possible EOs) to
see which one evokes the behavior
- use of test conditions and control condition to determine what is reinforcing the behavior
difference between functional analysis and functional assessment - Answer functional analysis is a
method of functional assessment as well as a specific experimental design
Method 1 - Answer "Shoot the animal"
Untraining; ethical issues to this approach
Method 6 - Answer "Put behavior on cue"
AND ALL CORRECT ANSWERS.
Define extinction - Answer stopping the reinforcement of a behavior stops the occurrence of that
behavior
Also: a behavior that has been previously reinforced and no longer results in the reinforcing
consequences and therefore behavior stops occurring in the future
How does the function of a behavior alter extinction procedures? - Answer how the behavior was
reinforced and the occurrence of reinforcement after extinction affects extinction procedures
-intermittent reinforcement that was previously used makes behavior decrease more gradually in the
extinction process
-continuous reinforcement that was previously used it decreases rapidly once reinforcement is
terminated
How does negatively or positively reinforced behavior alter extinction procedures? - Answer A behavior
may undergo extinction regardless of if it was maintained by a positive or negative reinforcer
-the positive reinforcer us no longer delivered after the behavior and the aversive stimulus is no longer
removed after the behavior
What is the difference between extinction and punishment? - Answer Extinction is with holding
reinforcement, a non-event; punishment is removing or adding something to directly decrease behavior
Ex: an employee breaks the rules; firing them (punishment) vs. decreasing pay (extinction, withholding
something already present)
extinction burst - Answer Increase in frequency, duration or intensity of the unreinforced behavior
during the extinction process
-novel behaviors may occur (means new way of trying, like pressing a broken key a different way)
-emotional response or aggressive behavior may occur
When do extinction bursts occur? - Answer when the extinction process has just begun
, EX: when parents no longer come to their child's room when they are crying (taking away attention
reinforcer), at first the child may scream louder than ever to push parents past the breaking point
Strengths and weaknesses of direct assessments - Answer strengths: recording antecedents and
consequences as they occur rather than report from memory
likely to be more accurate
weaknesses: take more time/effort; does not demonstrate a functional relationship but rather a
correlation of antecedents/consequences with the problem behavior
Direct Assessment - Answer A person observes and records the Antecedents and consequences, each
time the problem behavior occurs
AKA ABC observation
strength and weaknesses of indirect assessments - Answer Strengths: helps determine the antecedents
and consequences for the problem behavior
Weaknesses: bias and forgetting can lead to incorrect answers
Indirect assessment - Answer behavioral interviews or questionnaires are used to gather information
from the person exhibiting the problem behavior or from others who know this person well
functional analysis - Answer follow the problem behavior with potential reinforcers to see which
consequences increase the behavior; and/or you present different antecedent events (possible EOs) to
see which one evokes the behavior
- use of test conditions and control condition to determine what is reinforcing the behavior
difference between functional analysis and functional assessment - Answer functional analysis is a
method of functional assessment as well as a specific experimental design
Method 1 - Answer "Shoot the animal"
Untraining; ethical issues to this approach
Method 6 - Answer "Put behavior on cue"
