Psychology 3260: Personality & Social Development Don Hartmann, Spring 2007 Lecture 7: Skinner.

Psychology 3260: Personality & Social

Development

Don Hartmann, Spring 2007

Lecture 7: Skinner

Supplemental References

http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/skinner.htm http://www.bfskinner.org/Operant.asp http://www.bfskinner.org/ A few of the interesting books by Skinner:

Walden II (1948), Science and Human Behavior (1953), Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1971), and About Behaviorism (1974).

Overview of Skinner Lecture

Overlap pp. 43-44 Lecture:

Introduction to Skinner Methodological Contributions Principles of Behavior Minor Principle & Emphases Implications for Development Evaluation Summary

Next: Lect. #8: Bandura

Introduction

Most influential psychologist of the 20th century Not a developmental theory—a psychology of

action The Professor will Profess—Skinner is

relevant to the course, despite warnings from Shaffer (text writer)

Some Equivalences: Operant Psychology, Radical Behaviorism, Skinnerian Psychology

Methodological Contributions Philosophy of Science: Behaviorism

• Behavior is the focus; no emphasis on the black boxes

• Use of objective, verifiable data• The proper study for psychology is the behavior of

individual organisms (e.g., people); as a result…

Single Subject Designs0

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Violent TV

Control TV

Functional Definitions—rather than Procedural Definitions Functional Analysis: The control of behavior is found by examining its function

Behavior is Controlled by It’s Consequences

Principles of Behavior: Strengthening Behavior

Principle of Reinforcement Positive Reinforcer: If a behavior is

strengthened when it produces a consequence, that consequence is a positive reinforcer.

Negative Reinforcer: If a behavior is strengthened when it reduces or avoids or terminates a consequence, then that consequence is a negative reinforcer

Reinforcers strengthen behavior.

Extinction

Weakening of a behavior by following it with nothing (no consequence)

Examples: Decrease (weakening) of lecture preparation

produced by unresponsive students. The decrease in temper tantrums that occurs

when parents don’t respond to the tantrums

Punishment

Punishment WEAKENS behavior “Positive” Punishment: If a behavior is

weakened by the presentation of a consequence, then that consequence is a punishment for that behavior

“Negative” Punishment: If a behavior is weakened by the avoidance or reduction of a consequence, that consequence serves as a punishing consequence for that behavior

“Coercion” Illustrating Punishment & Negative Reinforcement

Here is how it begins: (1) A girl teasing her older brother, who makes her stop teasing by

yelling at her. [If she stops teasing, yelling serves as a punishing event or stimuli for her. Furthermore, his yelling is negatively reinforced (strengthened) as it terminates her teasing.]

(2) A few minutes later, the girl calls her brother a nasty name. The boy then chases and hits her—and she stops calling him nasty names. [Because her name-calling is weakened, his chasing and hitting serve as punishing events. His chasing and hitting are negatively reinforced—strengthened—by the termination of her name-calling.]

(3) She then whimpers and hits him back, and he withdraws. [Her whimpering/hitting serves as a punishment if it terminates his chasing/hitting. His withdrawal negatively reinforces her hits.]

Minor Principles

Immediate consequences are more effective than delayed consequences (immediate pleasure of nicotine vs. lung problems when older)

Intermittent reinforcement is more effective for maintaining a response than is continuous reinforcement

Principle of Shaping (reinforcing successive approximations) But check: http://

www.snopes.com/college/pranks/trained.asp

Emphases

Big Principle: Controlling behavior by arranging environmental contingencies

Use Positive Control Avoid Negative Control (punishment): It

excessive use results in avoidance of the user imitation of the negative control undesirable emotional behavior that interferes

with learning

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Practical Implication

Social Engineering Parenting Education & Training (e.g., sports) Behavior Modification in treatment centers

Contributions

Practical (contingency management): Consequences Control Behavior Emphasis on Positive Consequences Shaping for Acquiring Complex Behaviors Behavior Modification Procedures

Academic Behaviorism: Focus on observable behavior Functional Analysis N=1 Methodology: Behavior resides with the individual Functional Definitions

Summary & Conclusions

Skinner’s notions are important to understanding behavior—its acquisition & maintenance. However, he does not have a developmental theory

Next time: Lect. #8: Bandura Go in Peace!