1. BF Skinner Behavior Modification

2. BF Skinner Born March 10, 1904 in Pennsylvania Attended Harvard University at age 24 First teaching job in 1936 1947 Department Chair of the Psychology Department, Indiana University 1969 published Contingencies of Reinforcement 1971 published Beyond Freedom and Dignity Towards end of his life wrote autobiographical volumes including A Matter of Consequences Diagnosed with leukemia in 1989 Died August 18, 1990

3. Operant Conditioning is a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. Through operant conditioning, an association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior.

4. Components of Operant Conditioning Reinforcements- anything that increases or strengthens a certain behavior 2 Types : –Positive: this is when a behavior is rewarded or strengthened by given a reward or praise after demonstrating the desire behavior so that is will likely reoccur, the behavior is strengthened by adding something. –Negative: this is the removal of something after the display of the behavior, but still strengthening the behavior.

5. Positive Reinforcements After making a 100 on a spelling test, your teacher tells you “Great Job.” You are the only one in your class sitting down quietly, so your teacher gives you a free ice cream.

6. Negative Reinforcements Before going to the pool for the day, you put on sunscreen so that you do not get burnt. One Tuesday morning you leave for work early to avoid being stuck in traffic and being late to work.

7. Operant Conditioning Cont. Punishment- decreasing the behavior that it proceeds. Taking something away something good or desirable to decrease the occurrences of a undesired behavior. 2 Types: –Positive punishment: also known as the punishment by application, this involves the presentation of an unfavorable event or outcome in order to weaken the response it follows. –Negative punishment: also known as punishment by removal, occurs when an favorable event or outcome is removed after a behavior occurs.

8. Positive Punishments Because you're late to work one morning, you drive over the speed limit through a school zone. As a result, you get pulled over by a police officer and receive a ticket. A boy brings his cell phone to class and in the middle of a class lecture his phone rings, as a result he is scolded by the teacher for not turning his phone off prior to class.

9. Negative Punishments A teenage boy comes home way past his curfew, so in return his parents put him on restriction. A boy talks back to his mother about the amount of time she allotted for his free time, so the mother takes his free time away.

10. Operant Conditioning Pros: –Helps discourage unwanted behaviors –Helps with confidence and self assurance –Helps set boundaries within the classroom and home –Promotes safety –Develops social skills Cons: – Some felt that humans could not be compared with animals therefore the research which was done was inconclusive because the results would not be the same. –Some feel that punishments are often misused

11. Works Cited http://psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/a/introopco nd.htm http://wps.prenhall.com/hss_wade_invtopsych_3/9/5090/1303118. cw/content/index.html http://www.bfskinner.org/BFSkinner/AboutSkinner.html http://www.ehow.com/info_8208961_pros-rewarding-good- behavior.html