Operant Conditioning

Reinforcement vs Punishment

Positive Reinforcement :)

Definition = anything that increases the likelihood of a behavior by following it with the addition (+) of a desirable event or state.

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- In other words, increasing positive behavior by rewarding it with something good.

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- In positive reinforcement, a reward is added, so remember positive reinforcement means + a reward.

Positive Reinforcement :)

Write down 3 existing positive reinforcement techniques that get used in the real world (school, work, sports, ect.)

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Think of a behavior one of your friends, pets, or siblings engages in that drives you crazy. Come up with a plan to alter that behavior using positive reinforcement.

- Subject =

- Problem Behavior =

- Desired Behavior =

- Positive Reinforcer =

Negative (-) Reinforcement

Definition = anything that increases the likelihood of a behavior by following it the removal (-) of an undesirable event or state.

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- In other words, increasing positive behavior by taking away (subtracting -) something negative after it occurs.

Negative (-) Reinforcement

Write down 3 existing negative reinforcement techniques that get used in the real world (school, work, sports, ect.)

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Immediate vs Delayed Reinforcement

Immediate vs Delayed Reinforcement

Psychologists have found that immediate reinforcement is more effective in modifying behavior than delayed reinforcement.

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Why? Because humans seek out and respond more to instant gratification (even if the delayed/long-term consequences of the behavior are severely harmful).

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How did we figure it out?

Short answer, smokers...

Immediate vs Delayed Reinforcement

Which warning label do you think is more powerful or more effective?

Immediate vs Delayed Reinforcement

How smokers prove immediate reinforcement is more effective than delayed?

• The warning labels on cigarettes lists all of the LONG-TERM harmful side-effects of smoking (cancer, heart-disease, birth defects)
• The rush or buzz produced by the chemicals in tobacco is immediate
• And so, people continue to smoke even though they know it is bad for them because the immediate gratification they experience as a result of their chemical dependency trumps the harmful long-term effects.

Immediate vs Delayed Reinforcement

What you get when psychologists develop anti-smoking commercials

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Immediate vs Delayed Reinforcement

Describe at least 3 human behaviors that suggest immediate reinforcement is more effective than delayed reinforcement .

• Example: People continue to smoke even though they know it is bad for them because the nicotine buzz immediate (immediate reinforcement) they experience is more powerful than the harmful long-term effects like cancer or heart disease (delayed reinforcement).

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Primary vs Secondary Reinforcers

Primary Reinforcer = something that is naturally reinforcing.

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Examples:

- food for a hungry person

- warmth to a cold person

- water to a thirsty person

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Primary vs Secondary Reinforcers

Secondary Reinforcer = something that you have learned to value over time.

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Examples:

- money

- verbal praise

- good grades

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Operant Conditioning

Reinforcement vs Punishment

Positive (+) Punishment :(

Definition = when a behavior is followed by the addition of an undesirable event or consequence

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Examples:

- touching a hot stove -> getting burned

- breaking a rule in school -> getting a detention

- grandpa Bear's dog goes on the couch -> __________

- __________ ->__________

- __________ -> __________

- __________ -> __________

Negative (-) Punishment :(

Definition = when a behavior is followed by the removal or ending of a desirable state or consequence. In other words, having something you like taken away because you did something bad.

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Examples:

- A boy pulls his sister's hair and has his TV privileges taken away (-). The boy will be less likely to repeat the behavior if it results in him losing something he enjoys.

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Problems with Punishment

1) Punishment does not end THE DESIRE to engage in a behavior

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• Example = Children punished for using inappropriate language often continue to use bad language, just not in the presence of the one who punished them for it.

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• Example = Adults punished for speeding may just purchase a radar detector rather than driving the speed limit.

Problems with Punishment

2) Punishment can cause other problems like fear, anxiety, and low self-esteem. This causes frequently punished children or animals to engage in negative avoidance behaviors.

• Example = Children who are harshly punished by their parents at home might try to run away from home

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• Example = Students who are harshly punished at school might be more prone to drop out of school

Problems with Punishment

3) When adult role models use aggression to solve their problems, children learn to model that behavior as a problem solving strategy

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• Example = Abusive parents tend to come from abusive families
• Example = __________
• Example = __________

When should punishment be used?

When should punishment be used?

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Swift, clear, and well explained punishment can effectively control certain behaviors, especially if the punisher's goal is to protect a child from a dangerous or undesirable situation.

• Example = If a toddler develops a bad habit of running into the street, for its own safety, punishment should be used in order to instil a fear and avoidance of the street.

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• Your Example =

Role of Punishment in Learning

Example = If certain students develop a bad habit of distracting others or letting themselves get distracted when they should be focusing their full attention to the class material, for their own good, the teacher must use punishment to ensure they learn what they need to learn in order to pass the course.

Reinforcing an Incompatible Behavior

Most psychologists recommend reinforcing an incompatible behavior as an effective alternative to punishment.

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Example:

- Rather than punishing a child for lying, parents should consider reinforcing the child for telling the truth.

- This approach leads to a more gradual, permanent change in behavior than the temporary suppression of behavior that follows punishment

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Reinforcement vs Punishment

Reinforcement is more effective and beneficial to learners because:

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1) It tends to produce positive feelings that draw people together rather than feelings of fear, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

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2) Children who model positive reinforcement are more fun to be with than children who model aggressive behaviors

Can you tell the difference between Classical or Operant Conditioning?

Directions: Identify the following clips as examples of either classical conditioning or operant conditioning. Explain what makes each clip either operant or classical conditioning using specific psychology terms (examples: UCS, conditioned stimulus, positive reinforcement, etc)