HOW TO APPLY THESE IN AN EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Reinforcement, Punishment, Avoidance Learning, and Escape Learning

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.

Common Problems of the Classroom

What other problems can you come up with?

List

Goals for Today

Learn how to define, recognize, and apply terms to classroom situations:

Positive ReinforcementNegative ReinforcementPunishmentAvoidance LearningEscape Learning

Try and Define

Positive –

Negative –

Reinforce –

Punish –

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.

http://www.intropsych.com/ch05_conditioning/positive_reinforcement.html

Positive Reinforcement

Simplified:

Behavior = Increase

Add Something to Increase Behavior

What you are adding Pleasant

As long as it increases behavior

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.

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.

http://www.intropsych.com/ch05_conditioning/negative_reinforcement.html

Negative Reinforcement

Simplified:

Behavior = Increase

Remove something to Increase Behavior

What you are taking away Unpleasant

As long as it increases behavior

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.

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

Punishment

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

http://www.intropsych.com/ch05_conditioning/punishment.html

Punishment

Simplified:

Behavior = Decrease

(+ or -) something to Decrease Behavior

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.

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).

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).

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).

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).

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).

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).

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).

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)

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)

Try and Define

Escape –

Avoid –

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)

http://www.intropsych.com/ch05_conditioning/avoidance_and_escape_learning.html

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.

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.

http://www.intropsych.com/ch05_conditioning/avoidance_and_escape_learning.html

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.

Escape vs. Avoidance

Escape stops during

Avoidance stops before it arrives because of a cue

CUE

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.

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.

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)

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.

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)

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) 

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.

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: