Chapter 7 Study Questions and Objectives
1. Describe what stimulus discrimination is generally concerned with. Explain what ``stimulus discrimination training'' refers to. Describe the meaning of the term ``differential consequences.''
2. Describe the most basic type of stimulus discrimination training. Describe Rabin-Bickelman and Marholin's (1978) study that illustrates this fundamental type of stimulus discrimination training. Provide and recognize original examples of stimulus discrimination training.
3. Define ``S+'' and ``S-.'' Identify other names for the S+ and S-. Provide and recognize original examples of S+s and S-s.
4. Define ``stimulus control.'' Define ``excitatory stimulus control'' and ``inhibitory stimulus control.'' Provide and recognize original examples of the two types of stimulus control.
5. Explain how stimulus control can create Dr. Jeckyll-Mr. Hyde changes in behavior.
6. Distinguish between discriminative stimuli and reinforcers. Distinguish between stimulus discrimination and differential reinforcement.
7. Describe the following types of stimulus discrimination procedures:
(a) simultaneous and successive stimulus discrimination training,
(b) social discrimination, (c) verbal discrimination, (d) multiple-stimulus multiple-response discrimination, (e) matching-to-sample discrimination, and (f) multiple-cue discrimination. Provide and recognize original examples of each of these methods.
8. Under what conditions is it desirable to use simultaneous discrimination procedures and under what conditions is it desirable to use successive stimulus discrimination procedures. Explain why.
9. Identify another name used for multiple-stimulus multiple-response discrimination.
10. Describe the variants of matching-to-sample discrimination called oddity matching and symbolic matching.
11. Define ``selective attention,'' and explain why it can be a problem in multiple-cue discrimination. Define ``stimulus overselectivity.''
12. Explain why the effectiveness of stimulus discrimination training depends on the effectiveness of the individual response-strengthening and response-weakening procedures used.
13. Describe how each of the following variables contribute to the effectiveness of stimulus discrimination training: (a) instructions, (b) active responding, (c) pre-training procedures, (d) similarity of the stimuli, (e) relationship between the training and goal stimuli, (f) rate of stimulus presentation,
(g) order of stimulus presentation, and (h) stimulus-specific reinforcement. Provide and recognize original examples that illustrate the effects of each of these conditions.
14. Explain what occurs when behavior analysts apply the principle of active responding.
15. Explain what it means to present discrimination problems in cumulative form.
Chapter 8 Study Questions and Objectives
1. Define ``prompt,'' ``S+ prompt,'' and ``S- prompt.'' Describe how prompts differ from other types of discriminative stimuli.
2. Define ``verbal prompts,'' ``gestural prompts,'' ``picture prompts,'' ``physical prompts,'' and ``modeling prompts.'' Provide and recognize original examples of each type of prompt.
3. Describe the method of physical prompting called ``shadowing.''
4. Describe the two major purposes of prompting. Provide original examples illustrating each purpose.
5. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of prompting.
6. Identify and describe the conditions that make prompting effective that are the same conditions that make other discriminative stimuli effective. Describe the role of personal versus impersonal prompts in influencing the effectiveness of prompts. Provide and recognize original examples illustrating the conditions that make prompting effective.
7. Define ``fading.'' Describe the sense in which fading often involves the transfer of stimulus control from one set of stimuli to another. Provide and recognize original examples of fading.
8. Explain why fading procedures are called ``methods of errorless discrimination.'' Explain why errorless discrimination is a desirable way to learn discriminations.
9. Compare and contrast fading with: (a) shaping, and (b) thinning of a reinforcement schedule.
10. Describe what is meant by strong prompts and weak prompts. Describe the following two methods of fading prompts: (a) increasing assistance method, and (b) decreasing assistance method. Identify the other names used to describe these methods. Provide original examples of each method.
11. Identify and describe the role of the following conditions in making fading effective: (a) step size, (b) fading along the S+ rather than the S-, (c) using distinctive feature prompts, and (d) using within-stimulus prompts. Provide and recognize original examples illustrating the influence of each of these variables.
12. Explain how fading has been used in persuasion and to treat phobias.
13. Define and describe ``delayed prompting method of errorless learning.'' Provide and recognize original examples of delayed prompting. Distinguish between the progressive and constant forms of delayed prompting procedures.
14. Identify the key idea involved in the delayed prompting technique. Compare and contrast fading with delayed prompting.
15. Identify and describe the role of the following conditions in making delayed prompting effective: (a) length of the delay, and (b) schedule of reinforcement for correct responding.
16. Define ``stimulus-response chain.'' Provide and recognize original examples of stimulus-response chains.
17. Define and describe the following methods for teaching stimulus-response chains: (a) whole-task method, (b) forward chaining, and (c) backward chaining. Provide and recognize original examples of each of these three methods.
18. Describe what experiments have shown about the relative effectiveness of the whole-task method, forward chaining, and backward chaining.
19. Compare and contrast chaining with: (a) shaping, and (b) fading. Provide original examples illustrating how all three procedures could be used to teach a skill.
20. Identify the conditions that make stimulus-response chaining effective that are the same conditions that make other behavioral procedures effective.
21. Describe the two special considerations that are important in teaching stimulus-response chains. Define the principle of weak early links, explain its relevance to chaining, and describe and provide original examples of its practical applications.
