Lexus Campbell & abby fletcher B.F. Skinner Lexus Campbell & abby fletcher

When Was He Born? Born: March 20. 1904 Died: August 18, 1990 Susquehanna, Pennsylvania Also grew up Died: August 18, 1990 Died of leukemia

HIS THEORY Entire system is based on operant conditioning Organism is in the process of “operating” on the environment Bouncing around its world, doing what it does Rat doing “rat” things Reinforcing Stimulus (reinforce): a special kind of stimulus that the organism encounters while “operating” Food pellet Has the effect of increasing the operant Operant: the behavior occurring just before the reinforce Rats A behavior followed by a reinforcing stimulus results in an increased probability of that behavior occurring in the future A behavior no longer followed by the reinforcing stimulus results in a decreased probability of that behavior occurring in the future

Stages or Models

Schedules of Reinforcement Continuous Reinforcement: Every time the rat does the behavior (pedal-pushing), he gets a rat goodie Fixed Ratio Schedule: If the rat presses the pedal three times, say, he gets a goodie Fixed Interval Schedule: If the rat presses the bar at least once during a particular stretch of time (say 20 seconds), then he gets one goodie Even if the rat pushes the bar 100 times in 20 seconds, he only gets one goodie Variable Schedules: You change the “x” each time – first it takes 3 presses to get a goodie, then 10, then 1, then 7 and so on. You keep changing the time period – first 20 seconds, then 5, then 35, then 10 and so on No matter what, the rats are kept on their rat toes. They no longer “pace themselves, because they can no longer stablish a “rhythm” between behavior and reward.

Shaping Being gently shaped by your environment to enjoy certain things For more complex behaviors “The method of successive approximations” The same method that is used in the therapy called systematic desensitization

Aversive Stimuli The opposite of reinforcing Good thing= treat Bad thing= no treat and punishment “A behavior followed by an aversive stimulus results in a decreased probability of the behavior occurring in the future.” Negative Reinforcement: If you remove an already active aversive stimulus after a (rat or Jonny) preforms a certain behavior “Behavior followed by the removal of an aversive stimulus results in an increased probability of that behavior occurring in the future”

Behavior Modification Referred to as “B-mod” Therapy technique based on Skinner’s work Extinguish an undesirable behavior (by removing the reinforce) and replacing it with a desirable behavior by reinforcement Used on all sorts of psychological problems: addictions, neuroses, shyness, autism, even schizophrenia Token Economy: Certain rules are made- behavior yourself, you will be rewarded

Best known for? Social/ Emotional Intellectual Main studies: BEHAVIOR

Do You Agree? Why or Why Not?

Theory in Your Own Lives Chores= Money