Reinforcement Chapter 2

Arm Chair Psychology

This Course = Preparation Interpretation and prediction of complex human behavior To be successful, must develop a repertoire that includes correct use of basic terms and competence in the basic principles and laws of behavior

Principles & Laws & Outcomes Framework: Behaviorism – B.F. Skinner et al. Principles: Reinforcement, Punishment Laws: Matching Law, Law of Effect Theories: Behavioral Momentum, Choice, Relational Framing Social/learning/psychological/behavioral issues: drug effects, economics, safety, skill development, behavior disorders, psychopathology, environmental pollution and behavioral health, military training, consumer behavior Programs: Direct instruction, precision teaching, picture exchange communication system, centers for assessment and treatment of self injurious behavior, Head Sprout, PSI, Don’t Shoot the Dog, performance management, etc.

Hughes et al. (2005)

Reinforcers Can reinforcers be used to change behavior for the better (social significance)? Is precision in reinforcer presentation important?

Reinforcement Principle A response will occur more frequently if a reinforcer or an increase in a reinforcer has immediately followed it in the past, in similar settings

Reinforcement Contingency The immediate, response-contingent, presentation of a reinforcer resulting in an increased frequency of that response. What is a reinforcer?

Frequency Frequency count: # of responses in a given time period Rate of response: # of responses total time spent observing Rate =

Frequency Count Data Sheet Date: 8/25/05 Time: 6 AM to 8 AM Target Behavior: Physical complaints Total instances: 22

Frequency? Rate of response: 90 instances of behavior 60 minutes = 1.5 instances of the behavior per minute “The rate of the response during the observation period was 1.5 responses per minute.”

Increased Frequency Rate of response: 90 instances of behavior 2 hours = 45 instances of the behavior per hour “The response rate during the observation period was 45 responses per hour.”

Response Contingent… Produced by the response The receipt of the software upgrade was contingent up clicking the download icon Clicking on the download icon produced the software upgrade Getting the upgrade was dependent upon clicking the download icon

Delay Gradient The effects of reinforcement and punishment contingencies decrease as the delay between the response and the outcome increases.

Behavioral Contingency The occasion for a response, the response, & the outcome of the response

Occasion The occasion is a stimulus in the presence of which a particular response (behavior) will produce a particular outcome (discriminative stimulus)

Behavioral Contingency The occasion for a response, the response, & the outcome of the response Before: Rod has no attention from Dawn Behavior: Rod cries After: Rod has attention from Dawn BEDROOM & Lights Out

Examples of Reinforcement Contingencies BeforeBehaviorAfter No attentionCriesAttention No cookieSays “Cookie”Cookie

Contingent vs. Noncontingent Contingent event –Depends upon –Caused by Parent’s approval Noncontingent event –Not dependent on anything Parent’s love

Contingent Use of Reinforcers How do you know you have engaged in the contingent use of a reinforcer? How could you find out whether an assumed reinforcer really serves as a reinforcer?

Baseline Intervention Tantrums & Cooperative Behaviors

Reinforcer Assessment Observe Ask Structured Assessment

Environmental-Quality General Rule You can increase the frequency of entering a setting by putting more reinforcers in that setting, but you will have to make some reinforcers contingent on productive behavior if you want to increase productivity in that setting.

Positive Reinforcement or Not? A teacher wanted to improve students turning in assignments on time, so she began to give long lunch breaks every Friday to children who turned in all assignments for the week on time.

Positive Reinforcement or Not? Joanna gave her son his allowance on Saturday and told him that it was payment in advance for his chores to be done on Sunday

When can you say that a stimulus event or condition is a reinforcer? After it has been presented in contingent relationship with a particular response and that response has increased in frequency

Delivery of Reinforcers before the Behavior Reinforcer follows the behavior A behavior will occur more frequently in the future is a reinforcer or an increase in a reinforcer has immediately followed it in the past.

The Bribe The bribe comes before the act Reinforcement: NO Bribery? YES Bribery is the use of a reinforcer, often (but not always) given in advance, for the performance of an illegal or immoral act.

Bribe or Reinforcer I’ll give you $40 today to rake my yard next weekend. I’ll give you $10,000 today for you to throw the big game

They “should ought” to want to do it Don’t want to give a reinforcer for something they think a person should do without the added reinforcer False morality Use of positive reinforcement –No one gets hurt –Makes life better

Repertoire Trying to reinforce a behavior that is not in the repertoire? If pre-intervention rate is too low, reinforcement may have little effect

Avoid Circular Reasoning Rudolph wants the water Rudolph drinks the water Why does Rudolph drink the water? Why do you think Rudolph wants the water?

Avoid Circular Reasoning (read from right to left) Because that’s what the thermometer says. Because the temp is 120 o F in the box. Rudolph drinks the water. How do you know the temp is 120 o F? Why does Rudolph drink the water?

Error of Reification To call a process or activity a thing. Example: Why does he act strangely (activity)? Because he has a mental illness (sounds like a thing that can be in one’s possession). How do you know he has a mental illness? Because she acts strangely.

Medical Model Myth Why did he do what he did? Is the behavior a symptoms of an underlying psychological condition?

Hits others every day Angry? Poor self-esteem? Insecure? Behavior analysts suspect that hitting others is a learned behavior

Medical Model Myth An erroneous view of human behavior – that behavior is always a mere symptom of an underlying psychological problem.

Why does Eric tantrum? Insecure (underlying psych condition) How do you know? He tantrums (a symptom) CIRCULAR REASONING

Problem Most of the medical-model applications in psychology are based on circular reasoning

Arm Chair Psychology Harmful? Psychology has a tradition of multiple subspecialties/disciplines, each with a rich research tradition IMPORTANT FINDINGS

Behavior Analysis Learn the basic principles – reinforcement, punishment, etc. Be careful about assumptions –Logical errors –Lack of knowledge about basic principles

Baseline The phase of an experiment or intervention where the behavior is measured in the absence of an intervention.

Graph of Baseline & Intervention Baseline Intervention Tantrums