Behavior Frequency in AP Psychology

Definition

Behavior frequency refers to the number of times a specific behavior occurs within a given time period. It measures how often a behavior is performed.

Related terms

Reinforcement:

Reinforcement is any event that strengthens or increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again. For example, if you receive praise from your teacher for completing your homework, it may reinforce the behavior and increase its frequency.

Positive Punishment:

Positive punishment involves adding an aversive stimulus after a behavior to decrease its frequency. An example would be getting detention for talking in class, which may reduce future occurrences of talking during class.

Shaping:

Shaping is a process where behaviors are gradually modified by reinforcing successive approximations towards a desired goal or target behavior. For instance, if you're learning to ride a bike, someone might initially reward you for just sitting on the bike before moving onto pedaling and balancing.