EXAM 3 - Chapters 8-10

Consequences of behavior

Satisfying state of affairs

• Strengthens behavior

Annoying state of affairs

• Weakens behavior

Skinner box

• behavior is strengthened or weakened by consequence

• Punishment suppresses the behavior temporarily

Power of Punishment

Skinner and Thorndike underestimate punishment effects

• importance of not doing something as desired behavior

Weakening behavior

Punishment leads to decrease in behavior strength

• Positive Punishment

• Negative punishment

Positive Punishment

Stimulus added, behavior decreases

• reprimands

• spanking

• electric shock

Negative Punishment

Stimulus taken away, behavior decreases

• Loss of privileges

• Fines

• time out

Contingency

A correlation

Weakening of behavior

Punishment leads to a decrease in the strength of behavior

Concern of Punishment

Inadvertent Reinforcement for Punisher

• Successful punishment can inadvertently reinforce the punisher

  • Time out intiially used to reduce running in the classroom but later used for personal convenience

Side effects of physical punishment

• Escape/avoidance behaviors

• Aggression

• Apathy

• Potential abuse and imitation

Response Prevention

Focuses on preventing undesirable behavior from occurring

• limiting access

• modifying environment

• blocking attempts

Extinction

Withholding all reinforcement to reduce undesired behavior

• not always possible outside controlled environments and may lead to dangerous behaviors

Differential Reinforcement

Combines extinction with reinforcement of a preferred behavior

• DRA, DRI, and DRL o teach alternative or incompatible behaviors and reduce undesired behaviors

  • DRA: assess students reading level

  • DRI: evaluate reading skills and abilities

  • DRL: Record daily reading activities

DRI

Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible behavior

DRL

Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates

Caution with Punishment

While effective in reducing undesired behaviors, it must be used with caution to prevent unwanted behavior

CMIT

Constraint-induced movement therapy

• Paralysis

Social Observational Theory

Observer, models behavior, positive and negative consequence

• Observer = O

• Models behavior = M

• Positive Consequence = S+

• Negative Consequence = S-

Vicarious Reinforcement

consequence of models behavior strengthens the observers tendency to behave in a similar way

Vicarious Punishment

consequences of models behavior weakens the observers tendency to behave in a similar way

Imitation

behaving in a way that resembles the models behavior

• people imitate behaviors even if they do not yield the reinforcement

• Over-imitation increases with age

• Generalized imitation is reinforced despite knowing of better, more effective, methods

• observation of modeled behavior increases the future success in learning behavior

Skilled model

Observing the correct response every time

Unskilled model

Observing correct AND incorrect responses

• allows for evaluation of ideal response

Characteristics of the model that influence behavior

• attractive

• likable

• prestigious

• powerful

• popular

Characteristics of the observer that impact learning

• Language

• learning history

• age

• gender

• developmental or intellectual disabilities

Consequences of the observers behavior

• Imitation increases when the observers behavior is reinforced upon imitation

• imitation decreases when the observers behavior is punished upon imitation

Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory

Significant in understanding observational learning

• Cognitive processes play a crucial role

• Attentional, retentional, motor-reproductive, and motivational aspects are involved

Attentional (Albert B. Social Cog. Theory)

Involved focusing on the models behavior and its consequences

• self directed exploration

• originates within observer

• construction of meaningful perception from modeled events

Overt behavior

Motor-reproductive (Albert B. Social Cog. Theory)

putting retained information into action to imitate models behavior

imitation

Motivational (Albert B. Social Cog. Theory)

Expectations for consequence rather than actual outcomes

based on actual reinforcement of observers behavior

Operant Learning Model

modeled behavior and consequences influence the observers behavior

• attention, retention, motor reproduction, motivation