Chapter 9Section 5: Operant Conditioning in Real Life

•Operant principles can clear up many mysteries about why people behave as they do, & why they have trouble changing when they want to

•If life at work at & at home remains full of the same old reinforcers, punishers, & discriminating stimuli, any new responses that have been acquired may fail to generalize

•To help people change unwanted, dangerous, or self defeating habits, operant conditioning has been brought to classrooms, hospitals, factories, etc

•Behavior modification▫Toilet training, smoking, nail biting

The Pros & Cons of Punishment

•When punishment works▫Can deter young criminals from repeating their offenses Severity didn’t matter- the consistency did

When Punishment Fails

•People often administer punishment inappropriately or mindlessly.

•The recipient often responds with anxiety, fear, or rage.▫These negative emotional reactions can create more problems than the punishment solves

▫Being physically punished in childhood is a risk factor for depression, aggression, low self esteem & many other problems

•The effectiveness can be temporary, & depend on the presence of the person who administers it

•Most misbehavior is hard to punish immediately.

•Punishment conveys little information.▫Does not communicate what the person or animal should do

•An action intended to punish may instead by reinforcing because it brings attention.

•Most psychologists believe that punishment, especially severe, is a poor way to eliminate unwanted behavior in most situations

Guidelines to using punishments

•It should not involve physical abuse

•It should be accompanied by information about what kind of behavior would be appropriate

•It should be followed, whenever possible, by the reinforcement of a desirable behavior

•Alternative- extinction of the responses you want to discourage▫Ignoring the behavior

The Problems with Rewards

•Misuse of Rewards▫Rewards must be tied to the behavior you are trying to increase

▫“Feel good” rewards▫When rewards are dispensed indiscriminately, they become meaningless, because they no longer reinforce the desired behavior

Why Rewards Can Backfire

•Most are extrinsic reinforcers▫Reinforcers that are not inherently related to the action being reinforced, such as money, prizes, and praise.

•Should be intrinsic reinforcers▫Reinforcers that are inherently related to the action being reinforced, such as enjoyment of the task and satisfaction of accomplishment.

9-11

Turning Play Into Work

•When preschoolers were promised a prize for drawing with felt-tip pens, the behavior increased.

•After they got the prizes, they spent less time with pens than before the study began.

9-12

•Why should extrinsic rewards undermine the pleasure of doing something?▫When we are paid for an activity, we interpret it as work

▫We regard extrinsic rewards as controlling

•Something raises the rate of responding above some optimal, enjoyable level

•Extrinsic rewards do not always weaken the impact of intrinsic ones▫If you enjoyed doing something before hand

Last thoughts about extrinsic rewards

•Sometimes are necessary▫Paid for work

•Should be used sparingly

•Operant v. classical conditioning examples