Transcript Journal - Foothill Technology High School

Warm up
Does punishment really work with teens?
If so, when is it most effective?
Is there anything that might be more
effective than punishment? What?
Learning & Operating
Conditions
Part I
-Reinforcement & Punishment
Operating Conditioning

B.F. Skinner, behavioral psychologist
– Show video

A behavior is learned in connection with
reward or punishment
– Any response that is followed by a
reinforcement stimulus tends to be
repeated
More about operant conditioning
Operant conditioning deals with the
modification of "voluntary” or operant
behavior“.
 Also looks at schedules of
reinforcement - but that is Friday’s
lesson.

Operant Conditioning Chamber
aka “The Skinner Box”

Allowed him to
explore the rate of
response as a
dependent variable.
 Allowed him to
develop his theory
of schedules of
reinforcement.
Operant Conditioning that…

Encourages behavior
– Positive Reinforcement
– Negative Reinforcement

Discourages Behavior
– Positive Punishment
– Negative Punishment
Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement occurs when a
behavior (response) is followed by a
favorable stimulus (commonly seen as
pleasant) that increases the frequency of
that behavior.
In the Skinner box experiment, a stimulus
such as food or sugar solution was
delivered when the rat engaged in a target
behavior.
Negative Reinforcement

Following a behavior by stopping or taking
away something unpleasant
– Reinforcer is unpleasant in some way –
discomfort, fear, annoyance, social disapproval,
etc.
– In the Skinner box experiment, negative
reinforcement was a loud noise continuously
sounding inside the rat's cage until it engaged in
the target behavior, such as pressing a lever, upon
which the loud noise is removed.
Negative Punishment

Discouraging behaviour by following it with
unpleasant consequences.
 Also called “punishment by contingent
withdrawal“.
 Occurs when a behaviour (response) is
followed by the removal of a favorable
stimulus, such as taking away a child's toy
following an undesired behavior, resulting in a
decrease in that behavior.
– Eg.- having your cell phone or car confiscated.
Positive Punishment

Discouraging a behavior by adding something
that is not pleasurable.
 Also called “Punishment by contingent
stimulation“.
 Occurs when a behaviour (response) is
followed by an aversive stimulus (such as a
song), which is not removed until there is a
decrease in that behavior.
– Eg. Having a chore added to your list of chores
To recap
Reinforcement
(behavior
increases)
Punishment
(behavior
decreases)
Positive something added
Positive
Reinforcement
Something added
increases behavior
Positive Punishment
Something added
decreases behavior
Negative something
removed
Negative
Reinforcement
Something removed
increases behavior
Negative
Punishment
Something removed
decreases behavior
Your Turn!!!

With a partner, come up with your own
example for each of the following:
– Positive Reinforcement
– Negative Reinforcement
– Positive Punishment
– Negative Punishment
Let’s Share!!!

Share your examples with someone next to
you to make sure they are correct
 Read your example to the class.
 Each group will decide what to label the
example.
 When an example is read, hold up the
corresponding sign as to what your group
thinks it is.