Transcript Basic Learning Processes - Webcourses

Basic Learning Processes
Robert C. Kennedy, PhD
University of Central Florida
[email protected]
Chapter 9: Operant Applications
“The great end of life is not knowledge, but
action.” (Huxley, 1877)
• Traditional approach – problems emanate from within
the individual; assumes something inside must change
for behavior to change
• Largely ineffective approach to behavior problems
• Natural science approach – can change behavior by
changing the person’s environment; leads to action.
• Often, “simple” operant procedures can provide
solutions to complex human problems.
Home
• Operant principles can be very useful at home
• Operant learning is essential to normal
development
• Children in orphanages typically fail to develop in
a normal way behaviorally due to neglect
(environment is largely unresponsive to them)
• If one’s behavior has little effect on the
environment, there is little operant learning
Examples for Operant Training at Home
• Toilet Training in Less than a Day, by Nate Azrin and
Richard Foxx
• Mechanically Augmented Human Toilet Training, or
The Electric Potty Chair by Carl Cheney
– describes apparatus he built and used to toilet train his
children.
– child uses potty, circuit is closed and a clown face on a box
lights up.
Examples for Operant Training at Home
• Meaningful Differences, by Betty Hart and Todd
Risley
– considered one of most important studies of linguistic and
cognitive development
– very large longitudinal study
– shows profound effect of verbal environment at home
– More language, more IQ, etc.
– Important, but many critics
– See Mabry (1997) for a nice review
School
• Most teachers insist they provide positive
consequences for desired behavior more than
negative consequences for misconduct.
• Research shows most teachers provide far more
negative consequences than positive (even 5 to 1)
• Don’t ignore kids when good and criticize when not
good!!! Ignore kids when not good and praise when
good!!
School
• Reinforcement in the form of positive feedback and
praise for good work leads to effective instructional
programs
Example: Headsprout program
-each lesson focuses on one particular skill; child gets
immediate feedback about choice and then is asked
similar question; child must answer correctly on five
consecutive trials to move through program
Clinic
• Use of operant learnings in treatment of
disorders
• Punishment for
incorrect/improper/appropriate behavior
• Reinforce correct/proper/appropriate
behavior
Self-injurious Behavior
• deliberate, non-suicidal behavior that inflicts physical
harm on one's body to relieve emotional distress (NonSuicidal Self Injury, NSSI).
• has a paradoxical effect: pain actually sets off
endorphin rush, relieving self-harmer from deep
distress.
• can take many forms: cutting, picking, burning,
bruising, puncturing, embedding, scratching or hitting
one's self
• About 4% engage in these behaviors (about 5 in our
class)
Clinic
• Delusions and hallucinations are often result
from organic brain disorders
• However, some learning is likely to occur
• Patient who believes her “head is falling off”
approaches staff who react with annoyance,
which reinforces delusion. Patient learns to
approach staff without incurring hostile
reactions, which leads the delusions to disappear
Clinic
• Constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT)
– Used with stroke victims and others
– “Paralyzed” limbs: a patient who reports limited use
of one of his limbs receives restraint treatment.
– The unaffected hand is placed in a splint and that arm
is further placed in a sling to render it useless.
– Then, the patient repeatedly performs a variety of
motor tasks, which leads to dramatic improvement in
the “paralyzed” limb
– Came from animal research (monkeys)
Work
• Improve performance of workers through use
of simple feedback.
• Positive feedback is reinforcing and negative
feedback is punishing.
Example: Managers are using too much
overtime. Give praise if overtime goes down,
and rebuke if overtime goes up. Leads to
reduction of overtime use.
Zoo
• Providing care to animals’ lives: Treating an
aggressive elephant that needs a nail trim by
shaping the elephant to give its foot to the
trainers
Operant Learning Applications
Some other perspectives…
Operant Learning
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Is it just manipulation?
Should we treat humans like lab animals?
Are you learning how to manipulate?
If so, is that useful?
Classical v. Operant
So what’s the difference again?
Class Activity
• First and Last name on a piece of paper
• Answer the following question in less than 5
words:
– What is one real-world application for Operant
Conditioning?
Next Class
• Next lecture, 11/23 Ch 10: Observational Learning
• Quizzes on there way!!
• Paper topics if you’re planning on the optional paper