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Lecture 11, Positive Reinforcement - Contingencies - Positive reinforcement/punishment

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Positive reinforcement is the presentation of a stimulus following a response, which then leads to an increase in the future strength of the response. When dealing with positive reinforcement, it is a pleasant, good, or rewarding response. One example is:Turn on the TV (R) --> See the show (SR). Anotherexample is: Smile at someone (R) --> Someone smiles back at person (SR) Positive punishment is also the representation of a stimulus following the response, which then leads to a decrease in the future strength of that response. Due to dealing with a positive punishment, the response is typically unpleasant, or not good. One example to describe positive punishment is: Talk back to the boss (R) --> Gets reprimanded (SR). A second example is: Swat at the wasp (R) --> Gets stung by wasp (SR)

Chapter 1, Learning Theory & Research - Human Problems of Living

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There are three main factors of "Human Problems of Living." These three factors include behavioral excesses, behavioral deficits, and inappropriate behavior.  Behavioral excesses has to do with someone over-eating, an overuse of alcohol consumption, etc. Behavioral deficits includes being shy, procrastination, lack of motivation, laziness, etc. Lastly, Inappropriate behavior occurs when a problem is when and where certain behavior occurs, rather then what it is, as an exhibitonism. Although these may all be flaws, there are cures and ways to help these issues. For example, you could develop a technology of behavior. This allows us to decrease, increase, and or gain control of the "when and where" for any response to excesses. deficits, and appropriate behavior problems in a proper manner. 

Chapter 2, Learning Theory & Research - Independent / Dependent variable

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 The Independent variable is the aspect of the experiment that is made to differ in various ways across the many different conditions with an experiment. For example, if someone were to experiment the sleep impact on sleep deprivation on a sleep test, the independent variable would be the part of being sleep deprived.  The dependent variable is the aspect of an experiment that varies freely to determine if it is affected by changes in the independent variable. Going along with the sleep deprivation test example, the dependent variable in this testing would be the scores of the test performed.