Behaviourism

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Behaviourism
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Basic Idea of Behaviourism

• We learn how to behave based on how society and
  the environment responds to us
• We are a tabula rasa a blank slate upon which
  learning is inscribed

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Behaviourism
Stimulus S
Response R
-a stimulus is something that causes a response
-a reaction to a stimulus
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Demands of the environment

• Over millions of years, organisms developed the
  ability to think, learn and survive
• Which events are important to survival and
  well-being
• Which stimuli signal something important is about
  to happen
• Which response will produce negative and positive
  responses

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Stimulus - Response
Conditioning he knows the bang will be loud,
and he doesnt like it!

• We jump (response) at the sound (stimulus) of the
  popping balloon
• The teacher gives an assignment (stimulus) which
  the student completes by the deadline (response)

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Humans have some unlearned responses to stimuli
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• These are called unconditioned stimuli
• we salivate when we smell food
• we shiver when we feel cold
• we feel pain when we get hurt

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We can learn to associate other stimuli to these
unconditioned responses.

• Associating one stimuli with another
• Ivan Pavlov discovered that dogs became
  conditioned to salivate when a bell was paired
  repeatedly with the delivery of food.
• The bell (conditioned stimulus) caused a
  conditioned response (salivation)

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Called Classical Conditioning

• As in the balloon example, in a previous slide
• You cringe when you hear a dentist drill once you
  have had that experience
• The sight of candy makes you nauseous after
  eating all your Halloween candy at once one year
• The sight of a car backing out of driveway toward
  you leads to fear response following accident of
  similar nature

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Learned responses can disappear, and return

• Extinguished - can be extinguished become
  extinct the stimulus will fail to cause a
  response over time
• Spontaneous recovery learned responses can also
  come back unexpectedly

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Operant Conditioning

• A simple form of learning in which an organism
  learns to engage in behaviour because of the
  effects of that behaviour
• The behaviour operates on, or manipulates, the
  environment in order to attain desired outcomes
• See page 267

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We act a certain way because of the consequences

• Certain behaviours can be strengthened
  (increased) through reinforcement
• Certain behaviours can be weakened (stopped)
  through punishment

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Primary and Secondary Reinforcers

• Postive Reinforcers increase a behaviour when
  they are presented
• Primary Reinforcers We seek these because of
  our biological make up food, liquid,
  affectionate physical contact, sex, freedom from
  pain
• Secondary Reinforcers We seek these money,
  social approval, skills of our culture - because
  they have come to be valued by our culture and
  they get us primary reinforcers

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Negative Reinforcers

• Getting rid of something we dont want, something
  aversive
• Or avoiding something we know will be aversive
• Clean our room to stop getting nagged
• Close the windows of the car so the seats dont
  get full of snow
• Brush our teeth so that people will stop telling
  us our breath stinks
• A stimulus that is removed or avoided is a
  negative reinforcement

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Punishment Positive and Negative

• Punishment painful, or aversive stimuli that
  SUPPRESS or DECREASE the behaviour that they
  follow

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Use text Adjustment and Growth

• Same topic different text
• Answer this question
• Why do Psychologists think punishment is inferior
  to positive reinforcement, especially in
  child-rearing? On page 51/52 of your text, find 4
  reasons and list them. Make sure you read both
  paragraphs on the topic. Please hand in your
  work.

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Positive punishment (stops behaviour when
punishment is applied)

• Positive or aversive punishment
• Applying aversive stimuli
• Hitting
• Verbal reprimand
• Hand on a hot stove
• Social rejection (That hat is so )
• Rapid results! p. 269 Finish questions I put on
  the board last day
• Why does positive punishment get rapid results?
• What are the limitations of postive punishment
  why isnt it the best choice?

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Negative Punishment stops behaviour by taking
something away

• Monetary fines, loss of privileges, groundings
• Must be something the child wants to have
• Dont punish by withholding love
• Questions p. 270 next slide

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Page 270 Regular Psych text

• What are the advantages of negative punishment
  over positive punishment?
• What should parents withhold?
• What should they never withhold?
• When parents use punishment, they should focus on
  telling the child they dont like what, instead
  of expressing dislike for the child
• Why is positive reinforcement better?