EQ: What is Operant Conditioning?

Rewards and punishment

Classical vs. Operant Conditioning

Classical Conditioning Operant Conditioning

Behavior is determined by what PRECEDES it.

Behavior is determined by anticipation of what

FOLLOWS it.

Involuntary Voluntary

Dog salivates after a tone.

Dog sits in anticipation of getting a treat.

BR: Identify if example is operant or classical. If classical identify UCS, UCR, CS, and CR

Classical or Operant?

Imagine you have a friend who keeps the temperature in her home so high that each occasion on which you visit her you find yourself perspiring. The last time you visited her, you noticed that you began to perspire and became uncomfortable as soon as you saw her house (even before you got inside).

Classical or Operant?

Alice leaves her clothes and toys all over her room. It seems that the only time she cleans up her room is when her mother yells at her. When she yells at her, Alice picks up her clothes and put away her toys.

Classical or Operant?

A patient in a mental hospital is very disruptive at mealtimes. She grabs food from the plates of those sitting near her and tries to cram the food in her mouth. Because this behavior of stealing food is very undesirable, a plan is developed whereby every time the patient steals food from other plates, she is immediately taken to a room without food.

Reinforcement (encourages or strengthens a behavior)

Punishment (discourages or weakens a behavior)

Positive (to add or give something)

A piece of candy for buckling seatbelt

A spanking for not buckling your seatbelt

Negative (to subtract or take something away)

The buzzing sound stops when you buckle your seatbelt

Time Out for not buckling your seatbelt

Complete hand out with your group

EQ: What are the schedules of operant conditioning?

BR: Fill in the chart using notes below

Interval: schedule based on time Ratio: Schedule based on # of

behaviors Fixed: Constant or predictable Variable: Changing (unpredictable)

Reinforcement Schedules

fixed ratio – set number (every three times you raise your hand I call on you)

variable ratio – unpredictable number of responses (slot machine)

fixed interval – set amount of time (pay you every hour)

variable interval – unpredictable amount of time (fishing)

With partner

Schedules of reinforcement ws

BF Skinner

BF Skinner – “radical behavioralist” Wanted to demonstrate that uniquely human

behaviors were the product of conditioning. Starved 8 pigeons. Then rewarded them with

food every 15 s, no matter what they did.

Skinner Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_ctJqjlrHA

What did Skinner believe? What happened in the pigeon

experiment? What is Skinner’s explanation for

gambling?

Results: 6 of 8 bird developed superstitions

Turning counter-clockwise in a circle Thrusting head toward a specific corner of cage “tossing” an imaginary ball with its head Head bobbing with accompanying steps (2 birds) “fake” pecking

Superstition (cont) Follow up studies:

Gradually increased time between rewards to 1 min – bird behaviors became more pronounced (head bobbing/stepping looked like a dance)

Removed reward altogether to create extinction – pigeons showed resistance to extinction (one pigeon repeated behavior over 10,000 times before quitting).

What are your superstitions? How are they rewarded?

Video clips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy_mIEnnlF4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbEKAwCoCKw

What type of reinforcement/punishment is being used?

What is the reinforcement schedule?

Overjustification Effect Overjustification

effect: when we are rewarded for behaviors that we naturally enjoy, we sometimes lose our intrinsic motivation.

Learning and grades?

Professional athletes?

Problems with Punishment

it models aggression as a way to solve problems

breeds anger in the recipient

doesn’t provide an alternative behavior. Therefore, the behavior only goes away when the punisher is around.

Criticisms of Behavioralism

Deemphasizes the role of internal thoughts and feelings in behavior; Presents humans as lacking free will

Ignores biological predispositions

Support for Criticisms

Experiments with humans and animals both indicate that biological predispositions influence conditioning.a. Animal trainingb. Human societies built on behavioralist principles.

Support for Criticisms

2. Expectations alter the effectiveness of conditioning (i.e., alcoholics and nausea-producing drug; overjustification effect).

3. Learning occurs in the absence of rewards or punishments (this is called latent learning)- mice and cognitive maps

EQ: What is social learning theory?

BR: Do you think people learn from their environment?

Why or why not? Give examples

Read Social Learning theory and answer questions

Observational Learning

Also known as modeling.

Albert Bandura – Bobo doll experiment video

Write the procedure and results of the study in your notes

Modeling

Prosocial Behavior – constructive behavior Antisocial Behavior – unproductive or

destruction behavior

In groups

Think of two examples of pro social and 2 examples of anti social behavior

Self Discovery: Your locus of control

Give yourself one point for 1(a), 2(b), 3(a), 4(b), 5(b), 6(a)

The higher the score the more external locus of control

What do you think locus of control means?

Locus of control Degree to which

you expect that what happens in your life depends on your own actions and personal qualities vs. factors beyond your control

Internal locus of control: things happen because of your own efforts

External: What happens to you is outside of your control

How does your culture influence behavior/personality?

EQ: Do violent video games contribute to youth violence?

Do you believe that violence is a problem in today’s society?

Do you experience violence in your own life?

What do you think is the cause of violence in our world?

Explain all answers

Videos on violence

Make a pro/con T-chart in your notes (headings is “Do violent video games contribute to youth violence”)

Write evidence from videos for each side of T-chart

Taking to the text with partner

Background: “Do violent video games contribute to youth violence?”

Underline “Pro” statements and write P in margin

Underline “Con” statements and write C in margin

Box and define unknown words

Write comments/connections/opinions/summaries in margins

With partner

Add 2 pro and con statements to T-chart started with the video

Group work:

1. Compare pros and cons and add one more to each side of the T-chart

2. On notecard: Pick one side (pro or con) and write a thesis statement (main idea) with 3 pieces of evidence from the reading

Put all group members names on the notecard