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Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin

Positive Reinforcement

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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

The Effects Of Two Models Of Positive Feedback Of Children's Motivation, Judith Margaret Lynch May 1994

The Effects Of Two Models Of Positive Feedback Of Children's Motivation, Judith Margaret Lynch

Graduate Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the type of written or verbal positive comment regarding a child's accomplishment influences subsequent interest in a task. A preliminary investigation of literature revealed that often rewards and praise negatively alter children's behavior. The writer tested the hypothesis derived from this investigation that non- evaluative descriptive comments, commonly called encouragement, positively affect children more than evaluative praise comments. 32 kindergarten and 36 third grade children received evaluative praise comments and 31 kindergarten and 42 third grade children received non- evaluative descriptive comments on drawings for three days. The fourth day, children …


A Comparison Of Positive And Negative Reinforcement Of Fingernail Biting, Naomi Lee Chandler Dec 1986

A Comparison Of Positive And Negative Reinforcement Of Fingernail Biting, Naomi Lee Chandler

Graduate Theses

While nail-biting is not considered an important psychiatric symptom in the literature, it is an irritating and disfiguring behavior which calls for innovative intervention in its control. The subject in the present study was a 54-year-old female who spent an appreciable amount of time with facial make-up and hair grooming, but who often tried to hide her hands because of the disfigured appearance of her nails. In a ten-week study comparing the effects of positive and negative reinforcement, the subject was first rewarded for increasing her nail-biting behavior with tokens to be spent for "something to make her pretty". Then, …


The Effect Of Interpolated Continuous Reinforcement Following Fixed Ratio Reinforcement On Resistance To Extinction, Beverly B. Conway May 1985

The Effect Of Interpolated Continuous Reinforcement Following Fixed Ratio Reinforcement On Resistance To Extinction, Beverly B. Conway

Graduate Theses

The effect on response rates during extinction of interpolating varying numbers of continuous reinforcement sessions after seven fixed ratio-25 sessions was investigated. Rats received either seven, fourteen, or twenty-one sessions of continuous reinforcement. All rats then received seven sessions of extinction. There were three rats in each group. All sessions were thirty minutes long. The results showed rats receiving the CRF schedule for fourteen sessions make the most responses during extinction. Rats receiving the CRF schedule for fourteen sessions make the most responses during extinction. Rats receiving the CRF schedule for twenty-one sessions made fewer responses during extinction. Taken alone …


The Effects Of Three Fixed Ratio Schedules Of Reinforcement On Stimulus Generalization, Michelle L. Gordon Dec 1984

The Effects Of Three Fixed Ratio Schedules Of Reinforcement On Stimulus Generalization, Michelle L. Gordon

Graduate Theses

The effects of three different schedules of reinforcement on generalization in rats were investigated. The rats were trained to bar press in the presence of a 2000 hz tone and then participated in tone/no tone discrimination training. Upon completion of discrimination training, the rats were assigned randomly to one of three groups, a FR 10 group, a FR 25 group or a FR 50 group. After seven days on these schedules, generalization testing was started. Six days of generalization testing were done with a 31.5 minute tape of 7 tones in a random sequence. The tones for which the subjects' …


The Effects Of Three Schedules Of Reinforcement On Stimulus Generalization, John L. Sanders Aug 1983

The Effects Of Three Schedules Of Reinforcement On Stimulus Generalization, John L. Sanders

Graduate Theses

The effects of three schedules of reinforcement on stimulus generalization in rats were investigated. In the presence of a 2000 hz tone the subjects were trained to bar press on one of three schedules: CRF, VR 25, or VR 50. Three animals started in each condition. After tone/no-tone discrimination training they were tested for generalization. Generalization took.place over six,31.5 minute sessions. This tested the subjects* response rate to each of seven tones: 250 hz, 500 hz, 1000, hz, 2000 hz, 4000 hz, 8000 hz, and 16000 hz. During a 31.5 minute generalization test every tone was presented randomly nine times …


The Effect Of Interpolated Continuous Reinforcement Following Variable Ratio Reinforcement On Resistance To Extinction, Christine Miara Aug 1983

The Effect Of Interpolated Continuous Reinforcement Following Variable Ratio Reinforcement On Resistance To Extinction, Christine Miara

Graduate Theses

The effect on response rates during extinction of interpolating seven continuous reinforcement sessions after varying numbers of VR-25 sessions was investigated. Rats received either seven, fourteen, or twenty-one sessions of a VR-25 schedule followed by seven sessions of continuous reinforcement. There were three rats in each group. The rats then experienced seven sessions of extinction. All sessions were 30 minutes long." The results showed that rats that received the VR-25 schedule for 21 sessions made the roost responses over the seven extinction sessions. * Rats that received seven sessions of VR-25 made the least number of responses during extinction. The …


Relationship Between Attribution And Conditions Of Reward In Children, Rhonda Miles May 1981

Relationship Between Attribution And Conditions Of Reward In Children, Rhonda Miles

Graduate Theses

Thirty-eight third grade students were given the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility (lAR) Questionaire in order to determine their internal and external attribution scores. From those scores, 28 subjects were chosen to test the hypothesis by performing two separate but related tasks under the conditions of self-and external rewards. A correlation using the Pearson Product- Moment Correlation Coefficient was computed in order to determine the relation between the subject's attribution level and performance under different conditions of reward. The results showed a higher relationship between attribution and self-reward when self-reward followed external reward. A Chi square test was also computed to determine …


Patterning Of The Electromyographic Response On A Simple Verbal Conditioning Task, Truman G. Reid May 1981

Patterning Of The Electromyographic Response On A Simple Verbal Conditioning Task, Truman G. Reid

Graduate Theses

Twenty-four subjects from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin volunteered to participate in an experiment designed to determine if patterning of EMG responses occur when recorded from the Frontalis, or the Flexors of the preferred arm on a paired-associate verbal conditioning task. Six groups of four subjects each were provided either positive, negative reinforcement, or no reinforcement depending on their respective group. Groups one (PRF), and three (PRA) were positive reinforcement groups. Groups two (NRF), and four (NRA) were provided negative reinforcement. Groups five and six were control groups. Positive and negative reinforcement con sisted of subjects being …


The Effects Of Fixed-Ratio And Fixed-Interval Schedules Of Reinforcement On Generalization Gradients, Christy L. Sutton Aug 1979

The Effects Of Fixed-Ratio And Fixed-Interval Schedules Of Reinforcement On Generalization Gradients, Christy L. Sutton

Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of fixed-ratio and fixed-interval schedules of reinforcement on generalization gradients. The subjects were four female rats from the Fischer strain. All subjects v/ere conditioned in the presence of a 2000 hz tone to press the bar for reinforcement. Each subject was then trained to one of the following-schedules of reinforcement: FR-5, FR-30, FI-5, or FI-30. After maintenance on this terminal schedule for three days the subjects were tested for generalization. The generalization test consisted of variations in the frequency of the original SD. Response rate was recorded and gradients of …