Chapter 5

Assignment #2Topics (Choose ONE):Different sports have different techniques for deterring unwanted behaviour (e.g. penalty box in hockey, yardage penalties in football). Discuss sports penalties in terms of the four operant contingencies. You can pick your favourite sport or compare across several.Discuss Gallups self recognition task. What are the procedures, who has been used as subjects and what does this say about self-awareness?Pick a common cultural superstition (e.g. black cats, the number 13, play-off beards). Discuss how it may have come to be.

1Chapter 7Operant Applications2OverviewAnimal Care & TrainingSelf-AwarenessSelf-ControlVerbal BehaviourInsightCreativitySuperstitionDelusions & Hallucinations3Animal Care & Training4Veterinary CareLarge animals, carnivores, stress-susceptibleShapingChange behaviour patternsPositive reinforcement rather than punishment

5Self-Awareness6Observing the WorldSocial animalsUnderstanding anothers behaviour beneficialReinforcement through watching othersObservation of self; own behaviour7Gallups Mirror Self-Recognition TaskAllow chimp time to learn about mirrorStagesTranquilize chimp and paint dot on headSee if chimp notices changed appearanceMental self-imageUsed with children8Epsteins pigeonsTrained to peck a blue dotExperience with mirrorBlue dot on pigeon under bibPeck at bib

Other animalsElephants, dolphins, children9Shaping of Self-Observation?SkinnerKinds of questions we ask children reinforces self-observatione.g., are you hungry? what are you doing?Accurate response likely results in some form of desired outcome (i.e., reinforcement of behaviour)10Self-Control11Self-ControlChoiceForgoing a small, immediate reinforcer for large, delayed reinforcerHumans, non-humansCircular explanation (will power)

12TechniquesPhysical restraintDistancingDistractionDeprivation & SatiationAssistanceBehaviour monitoring13Physical RestraintPhysically prevent behaviour from occurringe.g., lock liquor cabinete.g., cut up credit cards

14DistancingBehaviour more likely to occur in specific environmentAvoid environment to assist self-controle.g., smokers who want to quit should avoid places where smokers frequent 15DistractionEngage in behaviour incompatible with undesired behavioure.g., want a snack, go for a walk16Deprivation and SatiationTo avoid excessese.g., to avoid overeating at party, eat small meal earlierPartial satiation17AssistanceInform others of your goalsGet helpChanges the environmente.g., friends may be enablers18Behavioural MonitoringKeep track of your own behaviourNotebook, graphs, etc.Visible indicatorsDieters in room with candy bowl; those who had to leave wrappers on table ate fewer pieces than those who could put wrappers in garbage19Verbal Behaviour20Skinner (1957)Verbal BehaviorSuggests ideas not encoded into words by speaker and decoded by listenerWords are behavioursFunctional relationship between a word and an outcome (i.e., reinforcement or punishment)Social consequences provide shaping and maintenance of language 21Early Shaping of WordsBabies babbleParents reinforce certain sounds with attention, etc.Increases frequency of these soundsGradually, reinforcement for more complex vocalizations only22Shaping Language?Greenspoon (1955)Reinforced or punished plural nouns in subjects lists of wordsproblemVerplanck (1955)Reinforced or didnt reinforce subjects use of opinion statementsQuay (1959)Reinforced statements about family membersPsycho-therapy?23ComplexLife-long reinforcement (and punishment) historyMuch vocal reinforcement without conscious knowledgeReinforcing lies24Insightful Problem Solving25Problem SolvingTrial and error, accidental successInsight = Sudden solutionthink things throughSkip intermediate steps

http://users.ox.ac.uk/~kgroup/tools/movies.shtml26Suspended fruit taskKohler SultanPushed box under bananaEpstein (1984) pigeonsSuggested insight could be due to reinforcement history

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Cant reach!Creativity28Can Creativity be Shaped?Novelty, original behaviourProvide reinforcement only for novel behaviourcreativityPryors (1969) work with porpoises and pigeonsVarious studies with children29Rewards and CreativitySome studies suggest rewards reduce creativityReward for task or no reward for taskFind more creative responses in non-rewarded groupBut, typically it is not creativity that is rewarded, but task completionSociety and status quoPeer pressure; what is normal?Failure30Superstition31Accidental ConditioningB.F. Skinner (1948)PigeonsGrain every 15 secondsDevelopment of behavioursAccidental strengthening32HumansBruner & Revusky (1961)Teenagers and 4 buttons; only button 3 gave reinforcement on FI scheduleWagner & Morris (1987)Children and clown doll giving marblesOno (1987)University students and levers; told to gain as many points as possible, but points just given periodically33Timing?Staddon & Simmelhag (1971)Interim and terminal behaviours34Delusions and Hallucinations35Attention SeekingNot always a biological rootPatientsDelusions provide attention from staffSocial reinforcementWeird behaviours might be shapedStop reinforcement to reduce behaviourMaintenance of behaviour (catch on)36Self-Injurious Behaviour37Self-InjuriesPunishment often effective for suppressionLovaas & Simmons (1969)Boy making 30 hits per minuteFour behaviour-contingent electric shocks to legSelf-injurious behaviour stopped38EscapeWolf (1967)Injurious behaviour increased when teacher asked boy questionsInjurious behaviour dropped when teacher stopped asking questionsNegative reinforcementLack of demandsUse of DRI to reduce SI behaviour39