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Positive Reinforcement (positive + reinforcement)
Selected AbstractsPositive reinforcement training in rhesus macaques,training progress as a result of training frequencyAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2009A.-L. Fernström Abstract Positive reinforcement training (PRT) efficiency was examined as a function of training frequency in 33 pair- or triple-housed female rhesus macaques. The animals were trained three times a week, once a day or twice a day, using PRT and a clicker as a secondary reinforcer. All animals were trained on 30 sessions, with an average of 5,min per training session per animal. The behaviors, trained in succession, were Targeting (reliably touching and following a Target); Collaborating (dominant animals allowing subordinates to train while stationing); Box-training (accepting being enclosed in a small compartment while responding to Target training) and initial Injection training. Fulfilled criteria for Targeting were obtained in 32/33 animals in a median of nine training sessions. Collaboration was obtained in 27/33 animals in a median of 15 training sessions. However, only four animals completed Box-training during the 30 training sessions and started Injection training. When comparing training success in terms of number of training sessions, training twice a day was less efficient than the other two treatments. In terms of daily progress, our results suggest that from a management perspective, daily training is more conducive to quick training success than thrice weekly training. In addition, in this study no further advantages could be gained from training twice a day. Am. J. Primatol. 71:373,379, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Measuring the emergence of tobacco dependence: the contribution of negative reinforcement modelsADDICTION, Issue 2004Thomas Eissenberg ABSTRACT This review of negative reinforcement models of drug dependence is part of a series that takes the position that a complete understanding of current concepts of dependence will facilitate the development of reliable and valid measures of the emergence of tobacco dependence. Other reviews within the series consider models that emphasize positive reinforcement and social learning/cognitive models. This review summarizes negative reinforcement in general and then presents four current negative reinforcement models that emphasize withdrawal, classical conditioning, self-medication and opponent-processes. For each model, the paper outlines central aspects of dependence, conceptualization of dependence development and influences that the model might have on current and future measures of dependence. Understanding how drug dependence develops will be an important part of future successful tobacco dependence measurement, prevention and treatment strategies. [source] Assessing the antecedents of transfer intentions in a training contextINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2004M. Anthony Machin This study examined the underlying structure of transfer climate and those aspects of transfer climate that were related to pre-training self-efficacy, pre-training motivation, and post-training transfer implementation intentions. Positive and negative affectivity (PA and NA) were also measured in order to better understand the relationship of these variables to trainees' perceptions of the transfer climate and the other training-related variables. Transfer climate was best represented by two underlying constructs, although these were correlated. After controlling for PA and NA, none of the transfer climate variables were significantly related to pre-training self-efficacy, while only positive reinforcement was significantly related to pre-training motivation. Pre-training self-efficacy was also a significant predictor of pre-training motivation, even after controlling for PA and NA. Negative affectivity was the only significant predictor of post-training transfer implementation intentions. Further research needs to clarify whether PA and NA are contributors to the trainees' perceptions of the transfer climate or are a product of these perceptions. [source] Jordanian baccalaureate nursing students' perception of their learning stylesINTERNATIONAL NURSING REVIEW, Issue 1 2005F. A. Abu-Moghli rn Aim:, The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine Jordanian nursing students' perception of their learning styles. Method:, All nursing students enrolled in four universities offering a baccalaureate degree in nursing at the time of the research project (n = 420) were approached. A structured self-administered questionnaire (Autonomous Learner Index) developed by the researchers was used for data collection. The questionnaire was pilot tested on a sample of nursing students who were not included in the study. The tool was reliable with an alpha coefficient of 0.89. Findings:, The majority of Jordanian nursing students perceived themselves as independent learners. The vast majority of students indicated that they have a desire to learn new things, are curious to learn, and can identify their goal independently. However, a low percentage of students indicated having good study skills, ability to concentrate while studying and using their study time efficiently. The two-tailed t -test indicated no significant differences at alpha 0.05 levels between students' learning preferences and the selected demographic variables. Conclusion:, Based on the study findings, it is suggested that nurse educators should provide positive reinforcement of students' active involvement in the learning process, which will stimulate continued self-direction. Moreover, courses on study skills, writing skills, and literature searching skills should be introduced early in nursing curricula. [source] Oestrogen Regulates the Expression and Function of Dopamine Transporters in Astrocytes of the Nigrostriatal SystemJOURNAL OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 9 2007S. Karakaya Dopamine is actively and specifically eliminated from the extracellular space by astrocytes and neurones through dopamine transporters (DAT) and, afterwards, either recycled into vesicles or metabolised. The availability of dopamine reflects a critical point in the regulation of dopamine activity within the nigrostriatal circuit under normal and pathological conditions. From previous studies, we know that oestrogen regulates the efficacy of dopaminergic neurones at the synaptic level and improves dopamine function during Parkinson's disease. Accordingly, we investigated the contribution of local astroglial for extracellular dopamine elimination and the impact of oestrogen on DAT expression and activity. Using neonatal striatal and midbrain astrocyte cultures, we could demonstrate that astrocytes possess a specific dopamine uptake machinery and express DAT at considerable levels. The application of 17,-oestradiol decreased the expression of DAT by 80% and 60% in midbrain and striatal astroglia cultures, respectively. The unspecific dopamine transporters (OCT3, VMAT2) were not detected in astroglia. Functionally, oestrogen exposure inhibited the clearance of dopamine from the extracellular space by 45% and 35% compared to controls in midbrain and striatal astroglia, respectively. The effect on DAT expression and activity was completely antagonised by the oestrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182 780. In conclusion, our data suggest that the positive reinforcement of dopamine transmission under physiological conditions and the alleviative impact of oestrogen under pathological conditions may be the result of a decline in DAT expression and therefore delayed dopamine uptake by astroglia. [source] Differential Increase in Taurine Levels by Low-Dose Ethanol in the Dorsal and Ventral Striatum Revealed by Microdialysis With On-Line Capillary ElectrophoresisALCOHOLISM, Issue 7 2004A Smith Ethanol increases taurine efflux in the nucleus accumbens or ventral striatum (VS), a dopaminergic terminal region involved in positive reinforcement. However, this has been found only at ethanol doses above 1 g/kg intraperitoneally, which is higher than what most rats will self-administer. We used a sensitive on-line assay of microdialysate content to test whether lower doses of ethanol selectively increase taurine efflux in VS as opposed to other dopaminergic regions not involved in reinforcement (e.g., dorsal striatum; DS). Adult male rats with microdialysis probes in VS or DS were injected with ethanol (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 g/kg intraperitoneally), and the amino acid content of the dialysate was measured every 11 sec using capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence detection. In VS, 0.5 g/kg ethanol significantly increased taurine levels by 20% for 10 min. A similar increase was seen after 1 g/kg ethanol, which lasted for about 20 min after injection. A two-phased taurine efflux was observed with the 2.0 g/kg dose, where taurine was increased by 2-fold after 5 min but it remained elevated by 30% for at least 60 min. In contrast, DS exhibited much smaller dose-related increases in taurine. Glycine, glutamate, serine, and ,-aminobutyric acid were not systematically affected by lower doses of ethanol; however, 2 g/kg slowly decreased these amino acids in both brain regions during the hour after injection. These data implicate a possible role of taurine in the mechanism of action of ethanol in the VS. The high sensitivity and time resolution afforded by capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence detection will be useful for detecting subtle changes of neuronally active amino acids levels due to low doses of ethanol. [source] Research Review: Dopamine transfer deficit: a neurobiological theory of altered reinforcement mechanisms in ADHDTHE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 7 2008Gail Tripp This review considers the hypothesis that changes in dopamine signalling might account for altered sensitivity to positive reinforcement in children with ADHD. The existing evidence regarding dopamine cell activity in relation to positive reinforcement is reviewed. We focus on the anticipatory firing of dopamine cells brought about by a transfer of dopamine cell responses to cues that precede reinforcers. It is proposed that in children with ADHD there is diminished anticipatory dopamine cell firing, which we call the dopamine transfer deficit (DTD). The DTD theory leads to specific and testable predictions for human and animal research. The extent to which DTD explains symptoms of ADHD and effects of pharmacological interventions is discussed. We conclude by considering the neural changes underlying the etiology of DTD. [source] Annotation: Neurofeedback , train your brain to train behaviourTHE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 1 2007Hartmut Heinrich Background:, Neurofeedback (NF) is a form of behavioural training aimed at developing skills for self-regulation of brain activity. Within the past decade, several NF studies have been published that tend to overcome the methodological shortcomings of earlier studies. This annotation describes the methodical basis of NF and reviews the evidence base for its clinical efficacy and effectiveness in neuropsychiatric disorders. Methods:, In NF training, self-regulation of specific aspects of electrical brain activity is acquired by means of immediate feedback and positive reinforcement. In frequency training, activity in different EEG frequency bands has to be decreased or increased. Training of slow cortical potentials (SCPs) addresses the regulation of cortical excitability. Results:, NF studies revealed paradigm-specific effects on, e.g., attention and memory processes and performance improvements in real-life conditions, in healthy subjects as well as in patients. In several studies it was shown that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) improved behavioural and cognitive variables after frequency (e.g., theta/beta) training or SCP training. Neurophysiological effects could also be measured. However, specific and unspecific training effects could not be disentangled in these studies. For drug-resistant patients with epilepsy, significant and long-lasting decreases of seizure frequency and intensity through SCP training were documented in a series of studies. For other child psychiatric disorders (e.g., tic disorders, anxiety, and autism) only preliminary investigations are available. Conclusions:, There is growing evidence for NF as a valuable treatment module in neuropsychiatric disorders. Further, controlled studies are necessary to establish clinical efficacy and effectiveness and to learn more about the mechanisms underlying successful training. [source] Signaling stimulus presentation during treatment with noncontingent reinforcement: Visual versus vocal signalsBEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS, Issue 2 2009John J. Schadler Jr. The independent effects of two signals implemented during treatment with noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) were examined. First, functional analyses showed that problem behavior exhibited by two individuals with developmental disabilities was sensitive to social positive reinforcement. A reversal design was then used to compare the effectiveness of a timer (NCR-visual) to a vocal statement (NCR-vocal) indicating when the stimulus would be returned in the context of a NCR procedure. Results showed that NCR reduced problem behavior for both participants. In addition, for one participant, the NCR-visual condition reduced problem behavior to a greater degree than the NCR-vocal condition. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Effects of a supervisory intervention on assessment of interobserver agreement by educational service providersBEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS, Issue 2 2008Meredith L. Garrity Effective data collection requires routine assessment of interobserver agreement (IOA). This study evaluated a supervisory intervention to increase the frequency of IOA assessments performed by educational staff at a school for children with developmental disabilities. Intervention components included action directives, strategic posting of IOA recording forms, and performance feedback (positive reinforcement and correction). Implemented in a multiple baseline design, intervention increased IOA assessments targeting skill acquisition and behavior support plans. The study illustrates a systems-level approach towards performance enhancement of human services personnel. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The influence of different therapists on functional analysis outcomesBEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS, Issue 1 2004David B. McAdam Recently, researchers have demonstrated that certain antecedent variables can affect the results of a functional analysis. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of family members versus a direct-care staff member on the occurrence of problem behaviors during three concurrently conducted functional analyses. The results of the functional analyses demonstrated that the participant's problem behaviors were maintained by positive reinforcement (i.e. access to tangible items) and negative reinforcement (i.e. escape from demands) when either his mother or stepfather was the therapist in the functional analysis; however, no problem behaviors were displayed when a direct-care staff member was the therapist in the functional analysis. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A mand analysis and levels treatment in an outpatient clinicBEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS, Issue 2 2003Julia T. O'Connor An adolescent with severe mental retardation and fragile X syndrome who displayed destructive behavior maintained by positive reinforcement in the form of adult compliance with mands was assessed and treated in an outpatient setting. A levels system treatment was assessed, consisting of a continuum of attention and reinforcement ranging from access to the functional reinforcer in level 3 contingent upon appropriate behavior to a 10,min room time-out for level 1 contingent upon aggressive and dangerous behavior. While the efficacy of this treatment has been demonstrated in an inpatient setting (Hagopian et al., 2002), this application extended the findings to outpatient and community settings. The levels system treatment resulted in a 98.1% reduction in destructive behavior from baseline levels. Treatment was successfully transferred to the home and school and reductions were maintained at 6 and 9 months. Treatment acceptability ratings were high across both home and school staff. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||