Operant Conditioning

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Operant Conditioning

• Behaviorism
• B.F. Skinner

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B.F. Skinner

• University of Minnesota faculty
• Uninspired by Classical Conditioning
• Much to narrow a focus
• Pairing is not acquisition of new knowledge
• Inspired by pigeons outside his office
• Law of Effect
• Outcomes effect future behavior
• Many experiments with pigeons
• May be the most influential Psychologist on
  American Education

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Behaviorism

• Traditions of Research in Higher Education
• Newton I stood on the shoulders of giants.
• Take existing research farther
• Psychoanalytic research in the 30s
• Research going too far out on a limb,
• Little practical use
• Trying to access your own subconscious
• Behaviorism is a response to esoteric
  Psychoanalysis
• The pendulum swings back to the complete other
  side

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Behaviorism

• Research is based on scientific principles.
• Only observable data should be collected
• Count the number of occurrences of an action
• Count the duration of an action
• Count the magnitude of an action
• Make no assumptions as to the internal state of a
  subject
• Learning is a conscious change in behavior
• Research is reproducible reliable

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Operant Conditioning

• Skinners learning model (ABC)
• Operant-Voluntary Action
• Antecedent Behavior Consequences
• (Environment-Action-Results)
• Candy isle in the supermarket
• Antecedents are still important
• Skinner focused on the consequences
• Only two types of consequences are possible
• Paid or Penalized.

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Operant Conditioning

• Types of Consequences
• Reinforcement
• Increases behavior
• Likelihood of occurrence, magnitude, or duration
• Positive Reinforcement (Mathematical
  interpretation)
• Addition of a reward
• A jelly bean, dinosaur sticker, etc.
• Negative Reinforcement (Mathematical
  interpretation)
• Subtraction of an annoyance
• Excused from a final examination if all quizzes
  are As

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Operant Conditioning

• Types of consequences (cont.)
• Punishment
• Decreases behavior
• Likelihood of occurrence, magnitude, or duration
• Presentation Punishment
• Addition of an annoyance (aversive)
• Spanking, verbal reprimand, etc.
• Removal Punishment
• Subtraction of a privilege
• Stay in from recess
• Overhead Matrix

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Reinforcement Schedules

• Continuous- Each occasion gets rewarded
• Jelly bean every time you raise your hand to
  speak
• Fixed Interval - Set period of time between
  rewards
• Check journals once per week
• Variable IntervalNo set time period between
  rewards
• Check homework 3 time per semester
• Fixed Ratio Reward after set number of
  behaviors
• Every 5 journal entries come show them to me
• Variable Ratio Randomly reward behavior, no
  system
• Maybe a sticker this time and maybe not.

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Behaviorism Techniques

• Standing orders
• Be systematic
• Have a behavior plan
• Implement consistently
• Be specific
• Name the behavior you want to see again
• Catch them being good
• Be sincere
• Punish or Praise for the students good not yours
• No venting on students

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Behaviorism Techniques

• Methods of Reinforcement
• Teacher Attention
• Verbal Praise
• Gestures
• Touching?
• Premack Principle
• With-hold a desired activity until a less desired
  activity is finished adequately
• Positive Practice

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Behaviorism Techniques

• Methods of punishment
• Satiation
• Wear out the bad behavior by having them repeat
  it
• Verbal Reprimands
• Gentle art of corrections
• Quiet, Direct, never say Or else
• Social Isolation
• Time out
• Peer-Pressure
• Punish group for sins of one person
• Response-Cost
• Gradually increasing severity of the punishment
  with every occurrence