1. Reinforcement, Punishment, Avoidance Learning, and Escape Learning
How to apply these in an educational environment
You will either hand out the following presentation or direct the students where to download for later reference. We do not want students focused on writing the notes furiously and blocking out the audio presentation and discussion since many of these terms are easily confused.

2. Common Problems of the Classroom
Student attendance is down.
Students don’t participate in class - they don’t raise their hands when asked a question.
Student constantly talks out of turn.
Students won’t quiet down once class starts.
Students have a tendency to continue to talk to each other once class starts.
Instructor: We want to show relevant examples so the students will be able to see these terms demonstrated in realistic terms.
Begin by telling the students that by the end of class they will know how to deal with these and similar situations.
At this time just preset the scenarios. Don’t explain what type of conditioning or learning is applicable at this time.

3. Common Problems of the Classroom
What other problems can you come up with?
List
Ask the students to list out other situations of the classroom which can be analyzed and categorized into the terms later. Save these to this powerpoint presentation
Again, don’t explain what type of conditioning or learning is applicable at this time.

4. Goals for Today
Learn how to define, recognize, and apply terms to classroom situations:
Positive Reinforcement
Negative Reinforcement
Punishment
Avoidance Learning
Escape Learning
Tell the students that these types of conditioning and Learning can be applied to all of the situations just presented.

5. Try and Define Positive – Negative – Reinforce – Punish –
This exercise could be done on the board, but is here as a guide. Try to get the students to define the terms by breaking the terms into chunks.
Ask the students if they are familiar with these terms. By having them break the terms apart, see how much of the definition the student can guess on their own. This should help stimulate recall of familiar terminology.

6. Positive Reinforcement
The word positive in positive reinforcement DOES NOT refer to the pleasantness of the stimulus.
It means a stimulus is added or applied to the situation.
Any stimulus that works to increase the frequency of a behavior it follows is a positive reinforcer, even if it does not seem like it should be rewarding.
Emphasize those in bold as these are parts that are confusing to many learners.

7. Positive Reinforcement
Simplified: Behavior = Increase Add Something to Increase Behavior What you are adding Pleasant As long as it increases behavior
Point out that Positive has nothing to do with pleasant. It merely means the addition of a stimulus.

8. Positive Reinforcement
A high school student helping around the house gets to borrow the family car.
A waitress receiving high tips for her pleasant service.
Explain that “helping around the house” is behavior to reinforce and “borrowing the car” is the added stimulus.
Explain that “pleasant service” is the behavior to reinforce and the “high tips” is the added stimulus.
Ask student for an example.

9. Negative Reinforcement
Occurs when a behavior is reinforced by removal of a stimulus.
The word negative DOES NOT mean unpleasant
It means a stimulus is removed or subtracted from the situation in order to reinforce a behavior.
Emphasize those in bold as these are parts that are confusing to many learners.

10. Negative Reinforcement
Simplified: Behavior = Increase Remove something to Increase Behavior What you are taking away Unpleasant As long as it increases behavior
Point out that Ngative has nothing to do with unpleasant. It merely means the removing of a stimulous.

11. Negative Reinforcement
Students who turn their work in on time get 1 homework assignment eliminated for every 10 that are on time.
A teacher shortens their driving time to work by waking up an hour earlier and missing heavy traffic.
Explain that “turning their work in on time” is the behavior to reinforce and “eliminating homework” is the removed stimulus.
Explain that “shorter drive time” is the behavior to reinforce and the “missing heavy traffic” is the removed stimulus.
Ask student for an example.

12. Positive vs. Negative Reinforcement
Reinforcement is used to INCREASE a behavior
Positive Reinforcement
Negative Reinforcement
Adding Something
candy, stickers, treat, certificate, lunch, extra credit
Removing Something
no homework, exemption from test
Compare and contrast terms. Have students volunteer their own examples.

13. Punishment
Punishment occurs when the desired affect is to make a behavior less frequent.

14. Punishment
Simplified: Behavior = Decrease (+ or -) something to Decrease Behavior

15. Punishment
A person parked illegally in a handicapped spot receives a large fine.
A child yells at their parent and gets sent to their room.
Explain that “parking illegaly” is the behavior to decrease.
Explain that “the child’s yelling” is the behavior to decrease.
Ask student for an example.

16. Back to the Classroom Problem: Student attendance is down.
A professor has a policy of exempting students from the final exam if they maintain perfect attendance during the quarter. His students’ attendance increases dramatically.
What/Why: The exemption from the final exam is an example of negative reinforcement because something is taken away that increases the behavior (attendance).
Instructor: We want to show relevant examples so the students will be able to see these terms demonstrated in realistic terms.

17. Back to the Classroom
Problem: Student attendance is down. A professor gives extra credit if they maintain perfect attendance during the quarter. His students’ attendance increases dramatically. What/Why: The extra credit is an example of positive reinforcement because something is added to increase the behavior (attendance).
Instructor: We want to show relevant examples so the students will be able to see these terms demonstrated in realistic terms.

18. Back to the Classroom
Problem: Student attendance is down. A professor gives additional assignments to those who miss his classes. His students’ attendance increases dramatically. What/Why: The additional assignments are examples of punishment because this action decreases the behavior (missing class).
Instructor: We want to show relevant examples so the students will be able to see these terms demonstrated in realistic terms.

19. Back to the Classroom
Problem: Student attendance is down. A professor takes participation points off those who miss his classes. His students’ attendance increases dramatically. What/Why: The removal of participation points is an example of punishment because this action decreases the behavior (missing class).
Instructor: We want to show relevant examples so the students will be able to see these terms demonstrated in realistic terms.

20. Back to the Classroom Problem: Students don’t participate in class.
A student gets bonus points for participation.
What/Why: The addition of bonus points is an example of positive reinforcement because something is added to increase the behavior (participation).
Instructor: We want to show relevant examples so the students will be able to see these terms demonstrated in realistic terms.

21. Back to the Classroom Problem: Students don’t participate in class.
A teacher will drop the lowest score of a past assignment if the students have high participation in class.
What/Why: The bonus points are an example of negative reinforcement because something is removed to increase the behavior (participation).
Instructor: We want to show relevant examples so the students will be able to see these terms demonstrated in realistic terms.

22. Back to the Classroom Problem: Students don’t participate in class.
Students have to write papers on why they don’t participate in classroom discussion.
What/Why: The papers are examples of punishment because this action decreases the behavior (lack of participation).
Instructor: We want to show relevant examples so the students will be able to see these terms demonstrated in realistic terms.

23. Back to the Classroom Problem: Student constantly talks out of turn.
Every time the student speaks up without being called the teacher makes them go stand in the corner.
What/Why: Removing the student from the class is an example of punishment. The instructor is trying to stop an undesirable behavior. (talking out of turn)
Instructor: We want to show relevant examples so the students will be able to see these terms demonstrated in realistic terms.

24. Back to the Classroom Problem: Student constantly talks out of turn.
Every time the student raises their hand they are giving verbal praise for following directions.
What/Why: Praise is an example of positive reinforcement. The instructor is trying to encourage a different behavior. (raising their hand to be called on)
Instructor: We want to show relevant examples so the students will be able to see these terms demonstrated in realistic terms.

25. Try and Define Escape – Avoid –
This exercise could be done on the board, but is here as a guide. Try to get the students to define the terms by breaking the terms into chunks.
Ask the students if they are familiar with these terms. By having them break the terms apart, see how much of the definition the student can guess on their own. This should help stimulate recall of familiar terminology.

26. Escape Learning
Occurs when the animal learns to perform an operant to terminate an ongoing, aversive stimulus.
It is a "get me out of here" or "shut this off" reaction, aimed at escape from pain or annoyance.
The behavior that produces escape is negatively reinforced (reinforced by the elimination of the unpleasant stimulus)

27. Escape Learning
Child 1 wants Child 2’s toy. Child 1 pinches Child 2 until they give them the toy. A cashier getting robbed hands over the money in her register.

28. Avoidance Learning
Escape conditioning is converted into avoidance conditioning by giving a signal before the aversive stimulus starts.
If the animal receives a cue or signal that an aversive stimulus is coming, then after one or two occurrences of the punishing stimulus the cue will trigger an avoidance behavior.
This kind of learning occurs quickly and is very durable.

29. Avoidance Learning
A college student won't get into a car with a driver who has had too much to drink The student is aware of drunk driving statistics so they avoid getting into the car. A teacher sets their work to auto save every 5 minutes. They have heard other teachers have lost work because their computer has crashed. It is set to save to avoid losing any work.

30. Escape vs. Avoidance
Escape stops during Avoidance stops before it arrives because of a cue
CUE

31. Escape Learning to Avoidance Learning
Escape: When a kid gets spanked he stops being disruptive.
Avoidance: When a parent raises their hand to spank the kid stops being disruptive.

32. Back to the Classroom
Problem: Students won’t quiet down once class starts.
The teacher blows a loud whistle until the noise ceases.
What/Why: The loud whistle is the annoying stimulus the students wish to stop. This is an example of escape learning because the behavior stops once the students hear the whistle.
Instructor: Let’s learn how the an example can change from escape to avoidance learning.

33. Back to the Classroom
Problem: Students won’t quiet down once class starts.
The teacher raises a loud whistle to her mouth and the students quiet before she has to blow it.
What/Why: The loud whistle is the annoying stimulus the students wish to keep from happening. This is an example of avoidance learning because the behavior stops before the arrival of the unwanted stimulus. (whistle)
Instructor: Let’s learn how the an example can change from escape to avoidance learning.

34. Back to the Classroom
Problem: Student attendance is down. A professor gives additional assignments to those who miss his classes. His students’ attendance increases dramatically. What/Why: This also demonstrates avoidance learning because the students avoid the additional assignments (stimulus) by coming to class.
Instructor: We go back to some of the examples shown in the first section, and show how these can demonstrate avoidance learning.

35. Back to the Classroom
Problem: Student attendance is down. A professor takes participation points off those who miss his classes. His students’ attendance increases dramatically. What/Why: It is also avoidance learning because the students want to avoid having the participation points removed. (stimulus)
Instructor: We go back to some of the examples shown in the first section, and show how these can demonstrate avoidance learning.

36. Back to the Classroom Problem: Students don’t participate in class.
Students have to write papers on why they don’t participate in classroom discussion.
What/Why: It is also avoidance learning because the students want to avoid having to write the papers. (stimulus) 
Instructor: We go back to some of the examples shown in the first section, and show how these can demonstrate avoidance learning.

37. Back to the Classroom Problem: Student constantly talks out of turn.
Every time the student speaks up without being called the teacher makes them go stand in the corner.
What/Why: It is also avoidance learning because the students want to avoid having to stand in the corner. Being removed from class is the unwanted stimulus.
Instructor: We go back to some of the examples shown in the first section, and show how these can demonstrate avoidance learning.

38. Back to the Classroom
Problem: Students have a tendency to continue to talk to each other once class starts. Need 1 more for escape/avoidance What/Why:
Instructor: Let’s learn how the an example can change from escape to avoidance learning.