Chained schedules of avoidance: Reinforcement within and by avoidance situations

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
09:00

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

Published on: October 3, 2020

R J Dewaard, M Galizio, A Baron

    Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
    |November 1, 1979
    PubMed

    More Related Videos

    Drosophila Passive Avoidance Behavior as a New Paradigm to Study Associative Aversive Learning06:20

    Drosophila Passive Avoidance Behavior as a New Paradigm to Study Associative Aversive Learning

    Published on: October 15, 2021

    A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence08:05

    A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence

    Published on: March 23, 2022

    Related Concept Videos

    Reinforcement Schedules01:24

    Reinforcement Schedules

    Positive reinforcement is a powerful method for teaching new behaviors to both animals and humans. B.F. Skinner demonstrated this with his experiments using rats in a Skinner box. When a rat pressed a lever, it received a food pellet. This immediate reward encouraged the rat to repeat the behavior. This method, where a reward follows every instance of the behavior, is known as continuous reinforcement. It is highly effective for establishing new behaviors quickly.
    Once a behavior is learned,...
    Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance01:14

    Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance

    Avoidance-avoidance conflict refers to a psychological situation where a person must choose between two or more unpleasant alternatives. These conflicts are particularly stressful because neither option is desirable. This dilemma is often expressed in sayings like "caught between a rock and a hard place" or "between the devil and the deep blue sea." For instance, individuals who fear dental procedures may find themselves torn between enduring a painful toothache or facing the anxiety of...
    Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness01:14

    Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

    Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
    Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
    Timing and Consequences on Behavior01:08

    Timing and Consequences on Behavior

    In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective. 
    Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...
    Frustration and Conflict: Approach-Approach, Approach-Avoidance01:20

    Frustration and Conflict: Approach-Approach, Approach-Avoidance

    Frustration occurs when people are obstructed or prevented from achieving a desired goal or fulfilling a perceived need. For example, when someone's input is ignored in a discussion, it can lead to feelings of frustration. Conflict, however, arises from opposing interests, goals, or actions. Conflicts can take various forms based on the nature of these opposing desires or goals.
    One common type of conflict is the Approach–Approach Conflict. In this case, a person faces two desirable options,...
    Operant Conditioning Intervention01:24

    Operant Conditioning Intervention

    Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
    In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...