Content Area II: Operant Conditioning – Reinforcement and punishment Topic: Law of effect and Baseline Behavior_. Myers Module: 21 Activity Type: In-class demonstration, Group activity, (could be a worksheet) Description: The principles of behavioral psychology can influence the behavior of animals and humans alike, but we must take a scientific approach to changing those behaviors as well as knowing if or how much those behaviors have changed. The following activity helps cements the concepts and teach some basic research methodology. “Seeing the Behavior” o For students to understand how we know there has been a change in behavior they must first understand how we track behavior. o Have students identify a behavior (theirs or someone close to them ) and track its frequency. o This is identifying the behavior at “baseline.” o Demonstrate using a line graph. (such as the ABAB design below)
o o Ask students, “What will happen if they start to reinforce or punish this behavior?” o Now, have them try it. Students should keep detailed notes as to when they reinforced, and the persistence of the change in behavior they see. NOTE – students should NOT use reinforcement. o Have students graph results. o Did they see a change in any other behaviors? o Instructors will have to take great caution in the who’s, how’s, when’s etc of how students do this. Approval must be gained first. If students are not mature enough to handle this you ask them to simply identify a behavior and design a positive reinforcement plan to change the behavior in detail? Assessment: (see Activities)
This assignment could be done via a presentation where students do a powerpoint about how they did or would condition someone. Another option is a detailed outline paper in which students outline each step they would take and the expected outcome. Notes: Face-to-face / Online TICE Goals: 1c, 2a, 3b, 4d, 6b
Topic: Positive and Negative Reinforcement & Punishment Myers Module: 21 Activity Type: Discussion, worksheet, think-pair-share Description: Students must know the different types of reinforcement and punishment . These are evident in their lives, but often times people use incorrect terminology to describe what has happened. Use the following activity / assessment to help students better understand these concepts. One way to help students grasp the differences is to use the matrix provided on p. 404 of the Myers supplemental materials (provided by Worth Publishing) (What supplemental materials? Be more specific, What book and p. #?). Remind them that to know if it is punishment or reinforcement they must look at what happens to behavior; to know if it is positive or negative they look at what we did to get that behavior. Point out: Reinforcement ALWAYS increases the behavior that results. Punishment ALWAYS decreases the resulting behavior. Write a “+” (plus) sign on the chalkboard. Explain that “positive” means “to add.” Write a “-“ (subtraction) sign on the chalkboard. Explain that “negative” means to subtract. Positive reinforcement: ADD something to the situation, increases behavior. Negative reinforcement: TAKE AWAY something, increases behavior. Assessment: Types of Reinforcement or Punishment – Can you tell? Give students a list of the following examples (and maybe a few of your own, but make sure they are accurate). Pay special attention to the negative reinforcement and punishment questions to make sure they understand the differences. o Johnny goes to Grandma’s house. While there he starts singing and his grandma gives him a cookie. The rest of the time he doesn’t sing. (Positive Punishment) o Max goes to a dance to pick-up on girls. He uses a horrible pick-up line and gets slapped. He continues to try the same line and continues to get slapped more frequently. (Positive Reinforcement) o Suzie continually behaves badly when people come over to her house because of the attention she gets. (Positive Reinforcement) o Jane pulls up to driveway steps out of the car, and runs in the house to get out of the cold. (Negative Reinforcement) o You put your child in Time out. (Negative Punishment) o Buckling the seatbelt to make the dinging stop. (Negative Reinforcement) o You go to the supermarket with your children. You put them in the basket and after a while they start screaming and fighting. You give them a
sucker to quiet them. The next time you go to the store they immediately start fighting and yelling. (Positive Reinforcement) o Your mother goes into the hospital for an operation. Afterward she does not have much of an appetite. After a while she eats a full meal and the doctors allow her to have more visitors. o After Sam gets married his wife continues to nag him to take out the trash. Eventually he does take out the trash and his wife nags him less. (Negative Reinforcement) Notes: Face-to-face / Online TICE Goals: 1b, 1c, 3b, 4b, 4d
Topic: Shaping_. Myers Module: 21 Activity Type: In-class demonstration, Group activity Description: Sometimes people need assistance to get from the basic understanding of reinforcement to the end desired behavior. The process is shaping, but it is often requires more attention and effort than people are aware. Assessment: “Breadcrumbs” o Shaping is reinforcing “approximations” of the desired behavior until it is achieved. o Have students think of a behavior that they would like to shape in a roommate, friend, family member, etc.. o Need to shape with reinforcement to get there. o NOTE – many students will want to stop a behavior they don’t like. Explain that they need to think of something they can reinforce and increase, not punish. o What will they use as a reinforce & why? o What would happen if they were to skip one of the small steps? o This can also be done in “reverse”: o Have students identify a behavior they have seen someone do. o Then have them go through all the steps that person “may have” gone through to get to that point “Shaping a Human Rat” • Have students break into groups of about 5-10 people. One is chosen as a “rat”, two are chose as “shapers”. • Send the “Rats” outside of the classroom. • The groups should decide a simple behavior they want to get the rats to do (i.e. – a jumping jack). • You can have it happen two ways: one group can just have the rat come back in immediately and the other group can think of all the smaller behaviors that they need to shape when the rat comes back in. • Have each group do it (without knowing the differences between the groups) • Once done, most of the time the group that just brought the “rat” in and started going had a hard time and the other group found it easier… Explain why. • ALSO – this is a good opportunity to talk about how the rats “thought” to much about what behaviors were wanted of them. Radical Behaviorists rarely consider thought. After doing both of these, ask students: “How could you use these principles to make it so you study better or exercise more?” See if students can apply them correctly. Assessment:
Students can produce a video about their experience and demonstrating their results. They could also do something similar with PowerPoint or a paper. Notes: Face-to-face / Online TICE Goals: 1b, 1c, 3b, 4b, 4d
Topic: Operant Conditioning: Role in Human Behavior Myers Module: 21 Activity type: Demonstration Description: From infancy onward, conditioning plays a major role in our lives. Yet most of us tend to downplay that role, possibly feeling that to admit such control over our behavior would be to admit that our lives are overly determined. Often when students read in their texts about classical and operant conditioning, they tend to associate that type of learning with infrahuman animals. That is, "Dogs, rats, and pigeons are affected by conditioning, but it doesn't play any role in my behavior." This activity is designed to provide a starting point for discussion of conditioning in humans. Instructions: While discussing operant conditioning, interrupt your lecture with "Oh, by the way, before I forget again" and then ask a question to which you know you will get either an almost totally positive or negative response. For example, if your students are primarily seniors, you might say, "I was supposed to ask, how many of you have signed for a diploma for graduation?" All students will usually raise a hand. Then tell them to hold the position they are in and ask if anyone told them to raise their hands or even mentioned raising hands. Discussion: The usual response is a chorus of groans as the students recognize that they have been "used." Discuss the activity as an example of human conditioning. Ask students to generate other examples that describe conditioning in humans. You can use the ensuing discussion as a bridge to talking about conditioning techniques used with humans in behavior therapy. Suggested Reading Bellack, A. S., & Hersen, M. Behavior modification: An introductory textbook. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977. Hulse, S. H., Deese, J. E., & Smith, H. E. The psychology of learning (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill, 1980. Smith, W. I. Conditioning and instrumental learning (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978. Notes: This activity is best done face to face. Source: Edward Stork, Retrieved online from: Teacher’s of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS), Lesson Plan: Learning, http://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/topss/index.aspx TICE goals: 1b, 1c, 3b, 4b, 4d
Topic: Satiation and Habituation Myers Module: 21 Activity Type: Discussion, Audio clips, Description: Students have experienced satiation and habituation concepts before. The purpose of this activity is to help them recognize how. This is also an important activity to make sure they understand the differences between two similar topics. • Satiation – when the effectiveness of a reinforce diminishes because the subject has been exposed or consumed enough. (i.e. – food is no longer reinforcing when the subject is full) • Habituation – decrease in the response or its intensity because of repeated exposure. (similar to sensitization) – However by increasing the level of stimulus or operant consequence the response again increases. Assessment: “Uugh, not that song again!” o Part 1: Before class, find a song that was popular about 3 months ago. o Come into class and play it. o Ask students their responses. Many of them will have responses similar to, “I am sick of that song!”) o Now show them the definitions to Satiation and Habituation. (defined above) which one it was that they experienced with the song (Satiation) and why it is not habituation.. o Part 2: Explain that Satiation and Habituation can happen with both Punishment and Reinforcement. o i.e. a dog can get full after given so many treats (satiation), or a person can get tired of working at a job for $8.00 without a raise (habituation) – See definitions for why. o ALSO: Refer to the Habituation with Zombies activity from earlier o They can habituate, but if something changes (i.e. the video) then the response comes back. For assessment purposes students are encouraged to write down which concept is in each demonstration and hand the paper in. Notes: Face-to-face / Online TICE Goals: 1b, 1c, 4d
Topic: Schedules of Reinforcement _. Myers Module: 21 Activity Type: Worksheet, PowerPoint activity Description: This is a simple activity to help students see and differentiate the different schedules of reinforcement (partial reinforcement). Assessment: “Name that Schedule” o Give students “Handout 6” in Myers supplemental materials for the learning chapter (reinforcement schedules). Have them answer in class, then go through it as a class so students know WHY. Your could even add some: o Hunting / Fishing (_____) o Slot Machines (_____) o You arrive at the bus station at 9:00. You keep checking for the 10:15 bus… and as the time gets closer you check more and more (____) o Pop Quizzes (____) o Frequent Flyer Programs – X miles for every dollar spent (____) This should be handed in as an assignment Notes: Face-to-face / Online TICE Goals: 1b, 1c, 4d
Topic: Token Economies_. Myers Module: 21 Activity Type: Discussion, worksheet, group activity Description: Toke economies are all around us. This activity helps students to understand what they are and how to identify the components. Where have you seen a token economy” • After describing a token economy and how they are used (images below, or similar ones found on a google image search.).
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Have students get in groups and identify times in their lives where they have seen them. They could identify times such as: o Star charts at school o Work – saving up for something o Store Rewards / Loyalty Programs See if they can identify the smaller reinforcers (tokens) as well as the larger ones and what specific behaviors they were meant to change.
Assessment: (see activity) A unique assessment is to have students outline how the token economies in their lives worked. Students can also create a token economy and present it via powerpoint to the class. (these can be very entertaining depending on the behaviors and reinforcements students choose.) Notes: Face-to-face / Online TICE Goals: 1a, 1b,4b, 4c
Topic: Discriminative Stimulus Myers Module: 21 Activity Type: Video clip, Discussion Description: Once students learn about discriminative stimuli they can have a lot of fun identifying them in their lives. • Discriminative Stimulus – a stimulus that signals whether a behavior will be reinforced or punished (or not) Spot the Discriminative Stimuli In Seligman’s research the light was the discriminative stimulus. In the image below, when the light came on it indicated that one side was going to be electrified so the dog jumped the barrier to the safer side.
Show clip from Date Night. The scene begins as the couple is getting ready for bed. She puts in her retainer and he says “that means they aren’t going to do anything.” **This movie is PG-13 and the clip is not evocative at all, HOEVER, high school instructors should be aware that it is referencing sex and may elicit concern** The retainer acted as the discriminative stimulus indicating whether or not punishment or reinforcement would be available. Assessment: Once students understand what a discriminative stimulus is have them go out and make a list of 6 or 7 in their lives. All they have to do is keep in mind the definition. Something that indicates that punishment or reinforcement is available. (examples below) • Noticed dad was in a good mood so I asked if we could go out for ice-cream • The open sign was on at Wendy’s so I was able to go in and get food. Notes: Face-to-face / Online TICE Goals: 1b, 1c, 3a, 4b, 4d, 6a
Topic: Combining Classical and Operant Procedures in real life (parent spanking = fear parent) Myers Module: 21 Activity Type: Class discussion Description: A brief assessment that helps students to see how both operant and classical conditioning can work together. Also pointing out the complexity of human behavior and its antecedents and consequences. Assessment: Knowing about both classical and operant conditioning – how do they work together? o Ask students to imagine someone who has children. o Explain that this person regularly spanks their children o Explain how classical and operant conditioning might be at play. o (classical = pairing the parent with the aversive spanking) o (operant = spanking reduces the negative behavior of the children) (If using spanking, maybe include a note that the use of spanking is controversial. Maybe include a discussion of why punishment is not always effective and how positive reinforcement tends to create the longest lasting behavior change.) Have students write a response paragraph about the consequences of these two in the instance of corporal punishment. See if they can identify other times when the two may be paired. (i.e. – person reinforcing with food becomes a conditioned stimulus for food) Notes: Face-to-face / Online TICE Goals: 1b, 1c, 3a, 4d, 5c
Topic: Choosing a Reinforcer that is reinforcing_. Myers Module: 21 Activity Type: Discussion, written assignment, Description: This activity is designed to help students see that they can not just arbitrarily choose a reinforcer, rather they must see what is reinforcing to each individual – which may be different. “Choosing the correct Reinforcer” o Bring several different candies to class (make some of them very desirable, some unknown, and some gross). o Tell students that you want to shape one of their behaviors. Give them some of the different candies. o Ask them which would be the ones they would want the most. o Ask them if the gross ones would motivate them. o NOW apply it to a different scenario: o You are a parent and your son has not been doing his homework, what would you use to motivate his behavior? o Apply these same principles. o What would not be very reinforcing for him? What would? o How would you use it to shape the end behavior. Assessment: Students can write a short two or three paragraph summary of how their parents might use this to shape one of their behaviors. If you choose to do this one, encourage the students to be honest. They sometimes don’t want to admit what could shape their behavior – or what behaviors need to be shaped. Notes: Face-to-face TICE Goals: 1c, 3a, 4b, 5d, 6
Available Media – Videos or Links you can use An interview with BF Skinner (Lauren) Thorndike Recreation documentary (Lauren)
