Operant Conditioning Flashcards: Reinforcement & Punishment
Practice reinforcement and punishment with 48 English flashcards: original scenarios, clear behavior changes, and checks for insufficient information.
Sobre aquesta baralla
Practice reinforcement and punishment with 48 English flashcards for introductory psychology. The focus is classifying consequences from a named person’s action, the stimulus added or removed, and the stated change in that same behavior. These are simplified hypothetical cases: where a consequence is said to cause a change, use that stipulated relationship. Ordinary anecdotes alone do not prove causation.
The cards practice terms to definitions, the four basic definitions back to their terms, original scenarios to consequence categories, and selected comparisons between confusable categories. Other prompts identify the target behavior or stimulus and diagnose missing evidence. A separated pair follows two people in one exchange to show why the chosen actor matters. Answers put the result first, followed by a short reason when useful.
The sequence introduces the two classification axes and the four terms, then mixes short scenarios with reverse recall and evidence checks. Later cards address unintended effects, combined consequences, individual differences, and tracking the wrong behavior. Closely related variants are separated; the review scheduler handles longer-term spacing. Every card uses the operant-conditioning tag.
Arbitrary category-to-example prompts are omitted because many examples would be valid. Reinforcement schedules, classical conditioning, famous-study trivia, clinical applications, and child-discipline or animal-training instructions are outside this focused deck. No exam or complete-course alignment is claimed.
The questions, scenarios, explanations, organization, and metadata were written independently with AI assistance and checked against psychological reference facts. No competitor cards, textbook examples, examination questions, or source diagrams were copied. Factual references include the APA Dictionary’s reinforcement entry and Control Learning and Human Potential. Reference works retain their own rights; common facts are not claimed as proprietary. Original material, including the AI-generated decorative cover, is dedicated under CC0 1.0 to the extent applicable rights exist. This is independent study material without institutional endorsement.
Targetes d'aquesta baralla
Targeta 1
Pregunta
What changes through operant conditioning?
Resposta
The future likelihood of a behavior changes through its consequences.
Targeta 2
Pregunta
In operant conditioning, what does positive mean?
Resposta
A stimulus is added after the behavior. The word does not mean good or desirable.
Targeta 3
Pregunta
What makes a consequence reinforcement?
Resposta
It increases the future likelihood of the behavior it follows.
Targeta 4
Pregunta
Before classifying an operant consequence, what behavior should you identify?
Resposta
The specific action by the specific person whose later behavior you are tracking.
Targeta 5
Pregunta
In operant conditioning, what does negative mean?
Resposta
A stimulus is removed, prevented, or postponed through the behavior. The word does not mean bad.
Targeta 6
Pregunta
What makes a consequence punishment?
Resposta
It decreases the future likelihood of the behavior it follows.
Targeta 7
Pregunta
What does it mean for a consequence to be contingent on a behavior?
Resposta
Its occurrence depends on that behavior. Simply happening later does not establish that relationship.
Targeta 8
Pregunta
What is positive reinforcement?
Resposta
Adding a stimulus after a behavior makes that behavior more likely in the future.
Targeta 9
Pregunta
What is negative punishment?
Resposta
Removing a stimulus after a behavior makes that behavior less likely in the future.
Targeta 10
Pregunta
Does an intended reward automatically count as reinforcement?
Resposta
No. It must actually increase the future likelihood of the target behavior.
Targeta 11
Pregunta
What is negative reinforcement?
Resposta
Removing or preventing a stimulus through a behavior makes that behavior more likely in the future.
Targeta 12
Pregunta
What is positive punishment?
Resposta
Adding a stimulus after a behavior makes that behavior less likely in the future.
Targeta 13
Pregunta
In a study game, completing a recall round earns Mira a token. This makes her complete more rounds later. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Positive reinforcement. Tokens are added, and completing recall rounds increases.
Targeta 14
Pregunta
In a puzzle game, using a shortcut removes a token from Jo’s earned balance. This makes Jo use the shortcut less often. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Negative punishment. An earned token is removed, and shortcut use decreases.
Targeta 15
Pregunta
A behavior becomes more frequent because it removes an ongoing stimulus. Which operant process is this?
Resposta
Negative reinforcement.
Targeta 16
Pregunta
In a simulated task, pressing the striped button adds a bothersome message. As a result, Lee presses it less often in later trials. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Positive punishment. The message is added, and pressing the striped button decreases.
Targeta 17
Pregunta
A tutor gives Pat a compliment after a practice session. Nothing is known about Pat’s later practice. Can you conclude that practice was reinforced?
Resposta
No. You need evidence that the compliment increased Pat’s later practice; the compliment alone is insufficient.
Targeta 18
Pregunta
A behavior becomes more frequent because it produces a stimulus. Which operant process is this?
Resposta
Positive reinforcement.
Targeta 19
Pregunta
A behavior becomes less frequent because it causes a stimulus to be taken away. Which operant process is this?
Resposta
Negative punishment.
Targeta 20
Pregunta
Selecting a display setting stops a distracting flicker. Because of this relief, Ari selects that setting more often when the flicker returns. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Negative reinforcement. The flicker is removed, and selecting the setting increases.
Targeta 21
Pregunta
A behavior becomes less frequent because it produces a stimulus. Which operant process is this?
Resposta
Positive punishment.
Targeta 22
Pregunta
Sending a draft earns Noor an encouraging reply from a collaborator. Because of those replies, Noor sends drafts more often. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Positive reinforcement. Encouraging replies are added, and sending drafts increases.
Targeta 23
Pregunta
A consequence is known to increase a behavior, but the account never says what changed in the environment. What can you classify?
Resposta
Reinforcement, but not whether it is positive or negative. You still need to know whether a stimulus was added or removed.
Targeta 24
Pregunta
In a game, skipping the tutorial removes access to a favorite avatar. This makes Ren skip tutorials less often. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Negative punishment. Access to the avatar is removed, and skipping tutorials decreases.
Targeta 25
Pregunta
Submitting a status note stops unwanted reminder messages. This makes Sam submit status notes more often. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Negative reinforcement. The reminders stop, and submitting status notes increases.
Targeta 26
Pregunta
Uma sends a sketch, receives a reply, and then sends sketches more often because of the replies. What is the target behavior being reinforced?
Resposta
Uma’s sending sketches. Receiving a reply is the consequence, not the target action.
Targeta 27
Pregunta
In a simulation, choosing the fast route adds a tedious confirmation task. This makes Alex choose that route less often. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Positive punishment. The confirmation task is added, and choosing the fast route decreases.
Targeta 28
Pregunta
In a music app, finishing a rhythm exercise plays a melody that Dev enjoys. The melody makes Dev finish exercises more often. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Positive reinforcement. The melody is presented, and finishing exercises increases.
Targeta 29
Pregunta
In a simulated task, touching the red tile switches off music the participant enjoys. As a result, red-tile touches decrease. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Negative punishment. Enjoyed music is removed, and touching the red tile decreases.
Targeta 30
Pregunta
A bonus is added after each completed task, but it has no effect on later task completion. Has a reinforcing effect been demonstrated?
Resposta
No. A bonus counts as a reinforcer for that behavior only if it increases the behavior’s future likelihood.
Targeta 31
Pregunta
Closing a blind removes glare from a screen. This relief makes Kit close the blind more often when glare appears. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Negative reinforcement. Glare is removed, and closing the blind increases.
Targeta 32
Pregunta
At a voluntary workshop, speaking up brings public applause. For Dana, the applause causes speaking up to decrease over later sessions. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Positive punishment. Applause is added, and Dana’s speaking up decreases, even though applause is often intended as a reward.
Targeta 33
Pregunta
Turning a dial removes an irritating tone, making future dial turns more frequent. What is removed in this negative reinforcement example?
Resposta
The tone. Negative refers to removal of the stimulus, not removal of the dial-turning behavior.
Targeta 34
Pregunta
What separates negative reinforcement from negative punishment when both remove a stimulus?
Resposta
The effect on the target behavior: it increases with negative reinforcement and decreases with negative punishment.
Targeta 35
Pregunta
A group responds to Morgan’s interruptions with attention. That added attention makes Morgan interrupt more often. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Positive reinforcement. Attention is added and interruptions increase; reinforcement can strengthen an unwanted behavior.
Targeta 36
Pregunta
In a cooperative board game, claiming an extra turn costs Nia her next turn. This makes Nia claim extra turns less often. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Negative punishment. Access to the next turn is removed, and claiming extra turns decreases.
Targeta 37
Pregunta
Moving a desk fan away removes an annoying hum. This makes Jules move the fan away more often when the hum returns. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Negative reinforcement. The hum is removed, and moving the fan away increases.
Targeta 38
Pregunta
After a move in a simulation, a tone is added and a token is removed. The move then decreases. Can you assign one positive-or-negative punishment label from this account?
Resposta
No. The decrease is linked to a combined consequence. You need to isolate whether the added tone, the removed token, or both caused it.
Targeta 39
Pregunta
After Taylor shares an unfinished design, a peer adds blunt criticism. The criticism makes Taylor share unfinished designs less often. Which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Positive punishment. Criticism is added, and sharing unfinished designs decreases.
Targeta 40
Pregunta
How do negative reinforcement and positive punishment differ on both classification axes?
Resposta
Negative reinforcement removes a stimulus and increases behavior. Positive punishment adds a stimulus and decreases behavior.
Targeta 41
Pregunta
Bea asks Sol for a file; Sol sends it. Receiving the file makes Bea ask again more often in similar situations. For Bea’s asking, which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Positive reinforcement. Bea gains the requested file, and Bea’s asking increases.
Targeta 42
Pregunta
Practice rises during the same week that badges are introduced. Other conditions also change. Does this alone prove the badges reinforced practice?
Resposta
No. The timing alone does not establish that the badges caused the increase. Other changes could explain it.
Targeta 43
Pregunta
The same added comment increases one person’s participation and decreases another’s. Must it have the same operant function for both?
Resposta
No. It is positive reinforcement for the first person and positive punishment for the second; function depends on the effect on each person’s behavior.
Targeta 44
Pregunta
After a token is offered, a participant presses a key once. Is that single response enough to show that tokens increased key pressing?
Resposta
No. One response does not establish an increase in future key pressing compared with its previous level.
Targeta 45
Pregunta
Sol sends Bea a file; Bea’s repeated requests stop. Ending those requests makes Sol send files more readily next time. For Sol’s sending, which operant process is shown?
Resposta
Negative reinforcement. Repeated requests are removed, and Sol’s sending increases.
Targeta 46
Pregunta
How do positive reinforcement and negative punishment differ on both classification axes?
Resposta
Positive reinforcement adds a stimulus and increases behavior. Negative punishment removes a stimulus and decreases behavior.
Targeta 47
Pregunta
Extra pop-ups follow opening a reference panel, and completed exercises later increase. Why is that insufficient to classify the pop-ups as punishment of opening the panel?
Resposta
The stated outcome tracks a different behavior. You need evidence that the pop-ups reduced opening the panel; more completed exercises does not establish that.
Targeta 48
Pregunta
A speaker is given extra attention meant to discourage off-topic remarks. Instead, that attention makes the remarks more frequent. How should the consequence be classified?
Resposta
Positive reinforcement. Added attention increases the target behavior, regardless of the intention to discourage it.
48 targetes
Operant Conditioning Flashcards: Reinforcement & Punishment
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