1. “Let’s Get ready to Crush some people!!!!!!!!!!”
Operant Conditioning
BF Skinner
Operant Behavior/Instrumental Learning
“Let’s Get ready to Crush some people!!!!!!!!!!”

2. It is voluntary! You learn the consequences that follow your behaviors (good or bad)!

3. Rewarding successive behaviors to encourage more complex behaviors.
Shaping
Rewarding successive behaviors to encourage more complex behaviors.
Mice Trained to play Basketball
How to teach Mice to play Basketball

4. Types of Reinforcement/Punishment
Must FOLLOW a behavior!
Increase the frequency of a behavior
(Reinforcement)
Adding something desirable
(Positive Reinforcement)
Removing something undesirable
(Negative Reinforcement)
Decrease the frequency of a behavior
(Punishment)
Adding something undesirable
(Positive Punishment)
Removing something desirable
(Negative Punishment)
*Immediate Reinforcement/Punishment is much stronger than delayed Reinforcement/Punishment
(Getting paid $ 30 now for working a football game v. getting paid $30 a month later)

5. Conditioned/Secondary Reinforcers
Types of Reinforcers
Primary Reinforcers
Conditioned/Secondary Reinforcers
Natural/biological reinforcers
(food, water, rest)
Things that we have to learn to value
($, Applause, TV time, etc)
Token Economies
Within an institution, you receive tokens as positive reinforcers for certain behaviors. You can then redeem these tokens for various rewards.
Premack Principle
An activity that happens frequently on it’s own (ex. Playing video games, watching TV) can be used to reinforce a behavior that occurs less frequently (ex. Cleaning your room). The opposite of this would not work.

6. Positive Reinforcement
increases the likelihood of a behavior by following the behavior with a desired or favorable stimulus or event
Behavior
Consequence
Increased Participation
Being brought flowers
Eating vegetables
Doing Chores
Helping others
Being on-time
Smoking a cigarette
Praise student responses
Kiss
Giving dessert
Receiving your allowance
Receiving orange crush cards
Getting candy
Release of dopamine in brain

7. Negative Reinforcement
increases the likelihood of a behavior by following the behavior by removing an undesirable stimulus or event
Behavior
Consequence
Increased Participation
Doing well on PSAT
Disclosure of information
Clean your room
Studying for an exam
Taking Tylenol
Using an umbrella
Smoking a cigarette
Flushing the toilet
Remove quiz from Friday
No Finals or Homeroom
Stop the torture
Mom stops nagging you
Make stress go away
Makes your headache go away
Stop getting wet
Makes the craving for nicotine go away
Removes the nasty smell

8. Positive Punishment
Decreases the likelihood of a behavior by presenting (adding) an undesirable action or response following a behavior.
Behavior
Consequence
Reduce excessive talking
Reduce participation
Reduce texting & driving
Reduce inappropriate comments
Reduce cell phones going off in class
Reduce speeding
Reduce drinking
Reduce late payments
Give detentions
Ridicule a response
Get into an accident
Embarrassing reprimand
Teacher answers & embarrasses you
Getting a ticket
Get sick & vommit
Extra fee

9. Negative Punishment
Decreases the likelihood of a behavior by removing (Subtracting) a desirable action or event following a behavior.
Behavior
Consequence
Reduce excessive talking
Reduce coming home late
Reduce Cell Phone usage
Reduce drunk driving
Reduce rude comments
Reduce outbursts
Take away recess
Groundings
Take it away
Suspension of drivers license
Giving someone the “cold shoulder”
Taking away video games

10. Reinforcement Schedules
Response happens every time after behavior
(Continuous)
Response only happens some of the time
(Partial/Intermittent)
Response is predictable
(Fixed)
Response happens after the behavior occurs a specific amount of times
(Fixed Ratio)
Response happens after a set amount of time
(Fixed Interval)
Response is Unpredictable
(Variable)
Response happens after the behavior occurs an unpredictable amount of times
(Variable Ratio)
Response happens after an unpredictable amount of time.
(Variable Interval)
Reinforcement Schedules
*Partial Reinforcement more resistant to extinction.
*Variable schedules more resistant to extinction than fixed schedules.
(Just 1 more time!!!!)

11. Fixed Ratio
Response happens after the behavior occurs a specific amount of times
Examples
Push lever 5 times Get a food pellet
Buy 4 coffees Get one free (Frequent Customer Cards)
Sell 3 Items Get a bonus (Selling on Commission)
Read 5 books Get a free pizza
Pick 1 bucket of beans Receive $10.
Clean 3 rooms Get a 15 Minute break
Mow 1 yard Get paid $25 (Being paid per units of work)
Every 2 meetings you get paid $400

12. Response happens after a set amount of time
Fixed Interval
Response happens after a set amount of time
Examples
Pressing a lever Food pellet released every 10 minutes
Pressing Morphine Button Released every 15 minutes
Studying Final given every Semester
Job requirements Annual job review
Caden crying at night We won’t go in until at least 3 AM
Reading Textbook Teacher gives a quiz every Tuesday
Drug Use Having drug tests on the 1st Mon. of each month
Being paid by the hour for work
Checking the clock (to leave) Bell rings every 50 minutes
Checking the oven (When you know the bake time)

13. Variable Ratio
Response happens after the behavior occurs an unpredictable amount of times
Examples
Pressing a lever Unknown how many presses will lead to pellet being released
Buying scratch off lottery tickets Unknown how many you need to buy to win
Using slot machines Unknown how many times you need to put in to win
Calling for donations Unknown how many calls you need to make to get $
Dancing with people Unknown how many you have to ask to get “yes”
Swinging a baseball bat Unknown how many swings to hit baseball

14. Response happens after an unpredictable amount of time.
Variable Interval
Response happens after an unpredictable amount of time.
Examples
Pressing a lever You don’t know when the pellet will be released
Studying You don’t know when a Pop Quiz will happen
Preparing to leave class Teacher rarely goes full 50 minutes
Click “got mail” button You don’t know when next will arrive
Calling a friend (who never has phone on) You don’t know when they’ll answer
Fishing You can go very short periods or long periods between catching fish
Drug Use Random drug tests by an employer
Listening to radio station (waiting for certain song) Don’t know when it will be played
*Ratio schedules promote higher rates of responding than Fixed Schedules.

15. Variable Schedules promote higher rates of responding than Fixed Schedules.
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16. The Office
Conditioning

17. In response to declining reading scores in local schools, John wrote an editorial suggesting that schools need to increase interest in reading books by providing students with incentives. Based on research showing a relation between use of incentives and student reading, he recommended providing a free pizza coupon for every ten books a student reads.
Explain how the overjustification effect can be used to refute John’s argument.
Explain how schedules of reinforcement can be used to strengthen John’s plan.
Answers