1. What is instrumental or operant conditioning?
   • Instrumental conditioning: behavior that occurs because it was previously effective in producing certain consequences
   • Operant conditioning:
2. How did Thorndike study instrumental learning?
3. Explain the law of effect.
4. What is the distinction between discrete trial and free-operant procedures?
5. Explain shaping by successive approximations.
6. Give an example of shaping.
7. Define and give examples of the 4 types of consequences.
8. What is differential reinforcement of other behavior? How could you use this idea in an elementary school classroom?
9. How could you use Neuringer’s research findings about variability to design a more creative classroom experience?
10. Why is variability in behavior important?
11. How does relevance or belongingness affect instrumental conditioning?
12. How does behavior systems theory provide an account of belongingness?
13. How does a progressive ratio schedule work? How does the amount and quality of reward affect performance on the progressive ratio?
14. Define Positive and Negative Behavioral Contrast. Think of an example of where a shift in reward affected your own performance.
15. Explain how contiguity and contingency apply to the analysis of the effects of reinforcement.
16. How does delay of reward affect performance?
17. Define conditioned reinforcement. How does it help bridge delays? How would this apply to shaping a rat to press the bar?
18. What are some of the reasons why unsignaled delays might interfere with operant conditioning?
19. Explain how superstitious behavior could arise from adventitious reinforcement. Make up an example.
20. What is interim behavior and what causes it?