1. Thinking About Psychology: The Science of
Mind & Behavior
Module 16

2. Reinforcement vs. Punishment
Concept: Studies show that reinforcement is better in encouraging behavior than punishment.
Directions: Choose the letter for the situation that is more likely to encourage behavior.

3. A. Your parents offer you $100 for each “A” you receive on your report card.
B. Your parents make you pay them $100 for each time you don’t make an “A” on your report card.
A- This situation uses positive reinforcement instead of the punishment used in situation B.

4. A. You receive a painful shock each time you watch more than 2 hours of TV a night.
B. You earn an extra 10 minutes added to your curfew for watching less than 2 hours of TV a night.
B- Getting a reward in this situation is likely to decrease TV watching.

5. Operant
Conditioning
A type of learning in which the frequency of a behavior depends on the consequence that follows that behavior
The frequency will increase if the consequence is reinforcing to the subject.
The frequency will decrease if the consequence is not reinforcing to the subject.

6. Reinforcement & Punishment
Reinforcement - Any consequence that increases the likelihood of the behavior it follows
Punishment - Any consequence that decreases the likelihood of the behavior it follows
The subject determines if a consequence is reinforcing or punishing

7. Positive Reinforcement
Anything that increases the likelihood of a behavior by following it with a desirable event or state
The subject receives something they want
Will strengthen the behavior

8. Negative Reinforcement Yelling at student to wear their uniform
Anything that increases the likelihood of a behavior by following it with the removal of an undesirable event or state
Note: the behavior is a means of either ESCAPING or AVOIDING an undesirable situation
Something the subject doesn’t like is removed
Will strengthen the behavior
Yelling at student to wear their uniform

9. Secondary Reinforcement
Primary VS
Secondary Reinforcement

10. Primary Reinforcement
Something that is naturally reinforcing
Examples: food, warmth, water, etc.
The item is reinforcing in and of itself

11. Secondary Reinforcement
Something that a person has learned to value or finds rewarding because it is paired with a primary reinforcer
Money is a good example

12. Punishment: The Process of Punishment
I will study for my psychology test.
I will study for my psychology test.
I will study for my psychology test.
I will study for my psychology test.
I will study for my psychology test.

13. Types of Punishment An undesirable event following a behavior
A desirable state or event ends following a behavior

14. Negative Effects of Punishment
Doesn’t prevent the undesirable behavior when away from the punisher
Can lead to fear, anxiety, and lower self-esteem
Children who are punished physically may learn to use aggression as a means to solve problems.
May explain why abusive parents tend to come from abusive families.

15. Positive Effects of Punishment
Punishment can effectively control certain behaviors.
Especially useful if teaching a child not to do a dangerous behavior
Most still suggest reinforcing an incompatible behavior rather than using punishment

16. Shaping
Technique used to establish a new behavior, that otherwise probably wouldn’t happen
Reinforcement of behaviors that are more and more similar to the one you want to occur
Example: Learning to ride a bike without training wheels. Although you fall off, your parents keep telling you “Good Job!” This helps encourage you to go further alone.

17. The goal of operant conditioning is to change behavior

18. Steps to Completing Scenarios
Identify the behavior in the scenario
Identify the reward OR punishment in the scenario
Determine whether the scenario is positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, or extinction
Justify your answer

19. Ruby has learned that if she leaves early for work, she can avoid heavy traffic.

20. Ruby has learned that if she leaves early for work, she can avoid heavy traffic.

21. Ruby has learned that if she leaves early for work, she can avoid heavy traffic.

22. This is ____________ because the behavior (leaving early for work) __________ as heavy traffic is ___________.

23. This is negative reinforcement because the behavior (leaving early for work) __________ as heavy traffic is ___________.

24. This is negative reinforcement because the behavior (leaving early for work) increases as heavy traffic is ___________.

25. This is negative reinforcement because the behavior (leaving early for work) increases as heavy traffic is removed.

26. Goal: Wear a Uniform! Positive Reinforcement
Person receives extra credit for wearing a uniform

27. Goal: Wear a Uniform! Negative Reinforcement
Person wears uniform to avoid lecture

28. Goal: decrease uniform misbehavior (punishment)
Giving detention for being out of uniform to decrease uniform misbehavior

29. Goal: decrease uniform misbehavior (punishment)
Removing person from class (and going to in-school) to decrease uniform misbehavior

30. Schedules of
Reinforcement

31. Continuous Reinforcement
A schedule of reinforcement in which a reward follows every correct response
Most useful way to establish a behavior
The behavior will extinguish quickly once the reinforcement stops.
Example: Vending machines.
Example: A teacher giving extra credit to students who participate in class.

32. Partial Reinforcement
A schedule of reinforcement in which a reward follows only some correct responses
When our behavior is reinforced intermittently (only some of the time), hope springs eternal and we are reluctant to give up.
Example: Lottery tickets- People don’t expect to win every time they buy a ticket. Therefore they continue to buy tickets even if they don’t win.
Partial reinforcement schedules produce responding that is hard to extinguish.
Includes the following types:
Fixed-interval and variable interval
Fixed-ratio and variable-ratio

33. Fixed-Interval Schedule
A partial reinforcement schedule that rewards only the first correct response after some defined period of time
Example: A researcher always reinforces a rat’s first bar press after 60 seconds. After receiving a food pellet (reinforcement) for that response, the rat has to wait 60 seconds before it will be reinforced for another correct response.
The interval (60 seconds) is fixed, and there is no way the rat can get reinforced during the interval

34. Variable-Interval Schedule
A partial reinforcement that rewards the first correct response after an unpredictable amount of time
Rat learns to respond at a moderate, steady rate
Fast responses don’t get extra rewards, so speed is not important
Example: “pop” quiz in a class

35. Fixed-Ratio Schedule
A partial reinforcement schedule that rewards a response only after some defined number of correct responses
The faster the subject responds, the more reinforcements they will receive.
Speed matters-The faster the rat makes the required amount of responses, the faster it will be fed.
Example: Stores that run “Buy 5, Get 1 free” specials.

36. Variable-Ratio Schedule
A partial reinforcement schedule that rewards an unpredictable number of correct responses
Rats tend to respond fast and to continue responding after receiving a reinforcement. After all, the next response could always be the response that pays off, and the only way to find out is to make that response!
This schedule is very resistant to extinction.
Sometimes called the “gambler’s schedule”; similar to a slot machine

37. Let’s guess the reinforcement schedule

38. A person buys state lottery
Variable Ratio
A person buys state lottery
tickets and wins.

39. A hotel maid may take a 15 minute
Fixed Ratio
A hotel maid may take a 15 minute
Break only after having cleaned 3 rooms..

40. Someone watches and sees shooting
Variable Interval
Someone watches and sees shooting
Stars on a dark night.

41. A teenager receives an allowance
Fixed Interval
A teenager receives an allowance
every Saturday.

42. A person checks the front porch for a
Variable Interval
A person checks the front porch for a
Newspaper when the delivery person
is extremely unpredictable.

43. A professional baseball player gets a hit approximately every
Variable Ratio
A professional baseball player gets
a hit approximately every
third time at bat.

44. A person checks the oven to see if Cookies are done when the amount
Fixed Interval
A person checks the oven to see if
Cookies are done when the amount
Of time needed for baking is known.

45. A blueberry picker receives $1 after
Fixed Ratio
A blueberry picker receives $1 after
filling 3 pint boxes.

46. A chartable organization makes an average of
Variable Ratio
A chartable organization makes an average of
ten phone calls for every donation it receives.

47. A person calls a garage mechanic to
Variable Interval
A person calls a garage mechanic to
see if his or her car is fixed yet.

48. A student’s final grade improves one level
Fixed Ratio
A student’s final grade improves one level
for every three book reviews submitted.

49. A student goes to the cafeteria to see if the next meal is available.
Fixed Interval
A student goes to the cafeteria to see if
the next meal is available.