Indiscriminable Contingencies ABA Knowledge Quiz
This quiz helps you practice spotting indiscriminable contingencies and predict likely behavior in short, real-life scenarios. When you are done, strengthen your foundation with an operant conditioning quiz, try a quick aba quiz, or review key principles in a conditioning and reinforcement quiz.
Study Outcomes
- Define indiscriminable contingencies -
Articulate the core characteristics of indiscriminable contingencies and distinguish them from other operant conditioning contingencies.
- Identify indiscriminable contingencies examples -
Recognize real-world and theoretical examples of indiscriminable contingencies to deepen your grasp of learning contingencies in psychology.
- Differentiate types of contingencies -
Distinguish between indiscriminable contingencies and other types of behavioral contingencies to clarify their unique functions in operant conditioning.
- Analyze behavioral contingencies definitions -
Critically examine and compare key definitions of behavioral contingencies to reinforce accurate use of psychology terminology.
- Apply concepts to quiz scenarios -
Use your knowledge of indiscriminable contingencies to solve challenging quiz questions and test your practical understanding.
- Evaluate your psychology IQ -
Assess your mastery of indiscriminable contingencies through scored feedback and boost your confidence in core behavioral concepts.
Cheat Sheet
- Defining Indiscriminable Contingencies -
Indiscriminable contingencies involve reinforcement or punishment delivered unpredictably, so learners can't pinpoint which response produced the outcome (Journal of Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1960). This core definition in learning contingencies in psychology underscores why behaviors under these schedules are so persistent. Use the mnemonic R.I.D.E. (Random, Intermittent, Difficult to pin down, Enduring) to lock in the concept.
- Partial Reinforcement and Schedules -
Operant conditioning contingencies often use partial reinforcement schedules - ratio or interval - to create indiscriminable contingencies that maintain high response rates (Skinner, 1957). Variable-ratio (VR) schedules, like VR-5, reward on average every fifth response but unpredictably, driving vigorous performance. Remember "VR = Very Relentless" to link variable-ratio with persistent behavior.
- Indiscriminable Contingencies Examples -
Classic indiscriminable contingencies examples include slot machines (VR schedule) and surprise quizzes (VI schedule), where reinforcement timing or amount is unknown (Harvard University, 2018). These real-world scenarios tap into the same psychological mechanisms studied in labs and illustrate why gamblers and students stay engaged. Picture a slot lever that sometimes pays off - that's your everyday indiscriminable contingency in action!
- Effects on Resistance to Extinction -
Behaviors conditioned under indiscriminable contingencies show remarkable resistance to extinction compared to continuous schedules (Partial Reinforcement Extinction Effect, PRE, 1951). The unpredictability makes learners expect "the next time could be the one," so they keep responding despite non-reinforcement. Think "PRE = Perseverance Really Endures" to recall why persistence spikes.
- Identifying and Modifying Contingencies -
To assess indiscriminable contingencies, map response - reinforcement delays and variances using behavioral logs or software like BOSS (Behavioral Observation System Software, University of Florida). You can then design discriminative stimuli or thin schedules gradually to reintroduce predictability and reduce unwanted persistence. An easy cue: use colored signals (S+) when reinforcement is available to shift from indiscriminable to discriminable contingencies.