Respondwords & vocals

by Melissa Daws

With thanks to Madonna

In the beginning, there was the rat.

I’m a rat

Skinner saw that the rat had no box.

I have no box

And lo, there was a box.

Skinner

BoxThis is nice

What are you lookin’ at?Rat…… rat...

If you give a behaviorist a rat, a lever, and a reinforcer, what

will you get?

“A behavioral contingency.”

Look around, contingencies are all around you.They’re everywhere that you go.You try everything you can to escape the pain of shock,Rudolf knows.

If all else fails and you can’t avoid aversive shock and being really annoyed.I know a way you can stop this mess.Its called a lever press, and that’s what it’s for.

So come on respond.Press your paw right down on it.Come on respond.Press the lever down now.I know you can do it.

All you need is some water reinforcement.It’s right there under your nose.Move aside, just a bit, you almost touched it.Please just stand on your toes.

I will shape your successive approximations to pressing the lever down.If you do it, you will get water now.That’s the situation.That’s how it’s done.

So come on respond.Press your paw right down on it.Come on respond.Press the lever down now.I know you can do it.

Water’s given for pressing, not just for your cleaning and scratching.After you have learned that, you will learn how to pull the chain, touch the sticker.Then you’ll be a well-trained rat now.

Respond.Press your paw right down on it.Come on respond.Press the lever down now.I know you can do it.

Respond…… Water’s in the dipper.

reinforcement

Before

Rudolf has no water

Behavior

Rudolf presses lever

After

Rudolf has water

Respond…… Water’s in the dipper.

Force, duration, frequency describe responses, not stimuli.Response, behavior, stimulus all of these apply to us.Thinking, rules, such as that apply to humans, but not rats.

When reinforcement’s intermittent, it makes extinction more resistant.Greater effort, quicker satiation, but you’ll respond under deprivation.

That’s the way it always goes, when you learn to use your toes.Now you know how to pull the chain.I can’t believe how quick you learned this game.

Don’t just stand there, let’s get to it.Press the lever, there’s nothing to it.Respond…..

Before

Rudolf has shock

Behavior

Rudolf presses lever

After

Rudolf has no shock

escape

Respond….

Oooh, you’ve got to just let your paw press down the lever.Oooh, you’ve got to press it down, down now.Oooh, you’ve got to … Respond...

Save the world with behavior analysis.