PSYB45H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Reinforcement, Operant Conditioning, Tantrum
Document Summary
Chapter 6: decreasing a behaviour with operant extinction. Extinction (operant): the withholding of a reinforcer following a previously reinforced response that weakens the response. Respondent extinction is a decrease in a conditioned response due to a cs no longer being followed by a us, whereas, extinction is a decrease in an operant response due to it no longer being reinforced. When using the word extinction by itself without qualification, we are referring to operant extinction. Another way would be taking away weekly allowance contingent on swearing which is referred to as response-cost punishment. Behaviour can also decrease due to forgetting-a behaviour is weakened as a function of time following its last occurrence. Operant extinction differs from each of these in that extinction weakens behaviour as a result of being emitted without being reinforced. Factors influencing the effectiveness of operant extinction: control of reinforcers for the behaviour that is to be decreased.
