PMHS Name______Social Psychology

AIM: To practice, memorize operant conditioning terms

NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

NEGATIVE PUNISHMENT POSITIVE PUNISHMENT

1. Ms. Vita’s cats (Jasper and Sully) love to eat early in the morning. They have this inner clock that tells them to wake at 4-4:30 a.m. Even though Vita presses snooze like crazy, they know they can wake her up by making lots of noise and fighting each other, Ms. Vita wakes up and feeds them. What did these cats condition the teacher to do?

______

Does targeted behavior increase or decrease (circle)

This tells you whether it is reinforcement or punishment (circle)

Is something added (+) or subtracted/stopped (-) (circle)

This tells you whether it is positive (+) or (-) (circle)

Why does this seem STRANGE? What did Ms. Vita unintentionally do? 2. A rat learns to press a bar to turn off a mild shock it is receiving through the floor of its cage. In this case, bar pressing is

______

Does targeted behavior increase or decrease (circle)

This tells you whether it is reinforcement or punishment (circle)

Is something added (+) or subtracted/stopped (-) (circle)

The thing used and subtracted is______

This tells you whether it is positive (+) or (-) (circle)

3. A rat learns to press a bar after receiving food pellets for each press. In this case, bar pressing is

______

Does targeted behavior increase or decrease (circle)

This tells you whether it is reinforcement or punishment (circle)

Is something added (+) or subtracted/stopped (-) (circle)

This tells you whether it is positive (+) or (-) (circle)

Who is the foremost operant psychologist?______

4. A teacher surprises a student by calling their house when they are absent. Although the teacher wanted to increase the student’s attendance, the student got mad and continued to stay home. Does targeted behavior increase or decrease (circle)

This tells you whether it is reinforcement or punishment (circle)

Is something added (+) or subtracted/stopped (-) (circle)

This tells you whether it is positive (+) or (-) (circle)

Why does this also seem strange – what did the teacher unintentionally do?