Try This at Home!

Relate: Give examples of applying conditioning principles to human behavior; Describe the basics of classical conditioning and how they relate to learning

As we learned from the textbook, you can condition dogs—but can you condition people? Let's do an experiment! Find a participant and try this activity. Record what physical responses you observe in your volunteer. You will need a large book and a pencil for this activity.

1			1. Take the book and drop it LOUDLY on a table or on the ground next to your volunteer. How does s/he react? Does s/he do anything? 2. Pick up the book and drop it LOUDLY again. What happens this time? 3. Drop the book one more time. What did you notice? 4. Now pick up the pencil, but do not throw it. What reactions do you observe in your volunteer? It is likely that your volunteer will flinch or jump when you pick up the book before you even drop it! This is an excellent example of Classical Conditioning.

Textbook Phobia
Relate: Explain extinction; Discuss stimulus generalization and discrimination.
So is your volunteer doomed to duck or flinch every time s/he sees a book? We hope that this fear does not turn into an enduring phobia. Let's do another experiment to see if we can set things right! You will need a large book and a pencil for this activity.

2			1. Pick up another one of the other books on the table, but don't throw it. What happens? Does your volunteer still react? 2. Pick up the pencil again, but don't throw it. What do you notice this time? 3. Wait a little while and then pick up a book in front of your volunteer. Do not throw it. What reactions do you observe this time?

Lunchtime

Remember: Describe the basics of classical conditioning and how they relate to learning.

Did you know that in a classroom where the clock is set to 12:00 p.m., most Americans would still become hungry, even if the actual time is only 10:00 a.m.? Most people will have no idea why they are suddenly hungry. How would you explain this?

3			Match the following terms with answer this statement. Neutral Stimulus Uncontrolled Stimulus Uncontrolled Response Conditioned Response Conditioned Stimulus I am hungry. Lunch is served. I eat. I am no longer hungry. The clock says 12:00 noon.

Same Time, Different Scene

React: Discuss stimulus generalization and discrimination

4			Now, assume there was a window in the classroom and it was dark outside. You would probably feel sleepy instead of hungry. How do you explain this?

Stopping Time

React: Explain extinction

5			If the clock was broken in the classroom and always read 12:00 no matter what time it really was, you would eventually stop feeling hungry when you went into the room. Why?

What Do You Think?

React: Give examples of applying conditioning principles to human behavior

6			1. People can be easily conditioned over a short period of time, with little awareness of how it happened and no conscious input. What does this mean to you? 2. How can this new information help you in your daily life?

Sit, Boo-Boo, Sit

Relate: Define the basics of operant conditioning.

Almost all dog owners teach their dogs to sit. This is a classic example of operant conditioning.

Look at the list of steps involved in teaching a dog to sit and fill in which aspect of conditioning is used in each step.

7			1. Place your hand on the dog's backside, creating an uncomfortable feeling and forcing its backside down. 2. Release the hand as soon as it begins to sit. 3. When the dog sits, praise it. 4. Give the dog a treat or reward for its success. 5. When the dog ignores you and does not sit, scold it firmly.

Screaming in the Store
Remember: Explain reinforcement and punishment; Present the pros and cons of punishment
We have all seen small children screaming in a store. It seems as though all children have a temper tantrum or two, but some children have are more prone to tantrums depending on how their behavior was reinforced. Responses that INCREASE the likelihood that a behavior will continue are called reinforcers.

8			Suppose Susie is in the store with her parents and begins to scream because she wants a treat. Look at the following responses and decide if they are positive reinforcers, negative reinforcers, or punishments. 1. Give her the treat she wants 2. Scold her to stop screaming 3. Walk away 4. Leave her at home the next time you go shopping 5. Give her an alternate treat from your purse 6. Explain to her why she cannot have the treat 7. Yell at her to stop 8. Explain to her that temper tantrums are not acceptable 9. Wait silently for her to finish and continue shopping 10. Telling her that if she is good, she can have a treat later 11. Spank her 12. Leave the store 13. Pick her up and put her in the cart until you are done shopping 14. Walk away from her, leaving her in the aisle. 15. Which response do you think is the best option to prevent further outbursts? Explain why you chose your answer. 16. Which response do you think is most likely to increase the number of temper tantrums? Explain why you chose your answer.

Operation Oops!

Relate: Define the basics of operant conditioning

Let's look at an example of operant conditioning that often experienced with small children.

When a child first begins to walk, parents and relatives are very excited and generally watch every move the child makes. The young toddler is bound to fall as s/he learns the ropes. Here's what often happens:

1. Little Susie falls → Mom/Dad are distressed and concerned
2. Susie sees her parents distress and concern and is startled → Susie cries
3. Susie cries → Mom/Dad pick him up and comfort her

9			1. What would you likely notice the next time Susie falls? 2. If Susie is like most toddlers, her crying reaction has been reinforced. How?

"Owwwieeeeee"

Remember: Explain reinforcement and punishment
Now that Susie's crying has been reinforced, let's fast forward a few years. Suppose Susie is now three years old and falls on the concrete while playing with her friends. Like most small children, she will likely run to Mom or Dad for comfort and help, and woefully show them her new "owwwieeeeeee."

10			Mom will most likely soothe Susie and clean her scrapes and bruises. 1. This is a ________________________________ reinforcer. Sometimes, Mom will give Susie an ice cream for being a "brave little girl." 2. This is a _______________________________ reinforcer.

See My "Boo-Boo?"

React: Explain reinforcement and punishment.

11			Have you ever seen a small child go to an adult to show them a "boo-boo," even when there is no scrape, bruise, or mark? Have you even seen a parent put a Band-Aid on a wound that is not bleeding? Explain this phenomenon.

"The Lip"

React: Explain reinforcement and punishment.

12			Now, it is possible Susie may develop what we call "the lip" in later life. It is a puckering of the lower lip and a drooping of the eyes, followed by a little sniffing noise. Most people, at some point, exploit sadness or hurt to gain attention or favor. Explain why and how this happens?

It's Payday!!

Remember: Discuss schedules of reinforcement

13			1. An artist that is paid for each painting she creates 2. A stock investor who wins some and loses money 3. An antique seller on eBay who may sell 10 items or 1 one item on a given day 4. A manger of a local restaurant who is paid every two weeks

You're the Boss!

Remember: Discuss schedules of reinforcement

14			You are the boss of a successful small business. Your team has performed very well this year, and you have been given money to spend to encourage your team's continued performance. Look at the following options and decide how you will spend the company's money. Order the options from most effective to least effective and state the reasoning for your order. a) A pay raise for everyone b) A series of bonuses that can be earned for meeting set goals c) Spread out the money throughout the year, giving smaller bonuses roughly every month d) Have random "lotteries" where the employees earn tickets for each sale and the winner is drawn at random.

Your Turn
React: Explain the concept of shaping

15			We all have things we want to change about ourselves. Use the same strategy you used in the last exercise and try to reshape your own behavior. 1. Observe your behavior. What do you notice? 2. Observe other people's reaction to your behavior. What do you notice? 3. Evaluate how this is working for you. What do you get out of repeating this behavior? This is a very hard question; take some time to really think about your answer. 4. Identify EXACTLY what you would like to change. Make sure that what you choose is VERY specific. It should be only one thing and it should be easy to complete. 5. Select a strategy. Decide exactly how you want to implement the change. Remember what you have learned about positive and negative reinforcement! 6. Implement the program. Follow through with your strategy. Remember that it probably took a long time to learn this behavior and it may take some time to unlearn it. 7. Record what happens. Make sure that you are sticking with one behavior and be sure that your have had the opportunity to experience success with one behavior. Caution: Be mindful of expecting too much! 8. Is it working? Evaluate you successes or failures and what has or has not worked. 9. Alter you method: Once you have success with one idea, it is much easier to reshape other behavior. Success breeds success. Try to use these methods to support other changes.

Airplane

Remember: Explain latent learning and how it works in humans; Discuss the influence of observational learning in acquiring skills

16			1. Close you eyes and imagine that you are an airline pilot. Describe in detail exactly what you would do with the plane. Describe the controls and how it feels to take off and land safely. Describe all of the sensations you feel. 2. Chances are that you have never flown an airplane. Re-read your description. Do you think it is accurate? Using the concept of Cognitive Learning Theory, explain how you were able to describe something you have never experienced.

You're the Teacher
Relate: Explain latent learning and how it works in humans; Discuss the influence of observational learning in acquiring skills.

17			1. Find a volunteer for this experiment. Choose a relatively easy-to-perform personal skill that you but volunteer does not (e.g., napkin folding). Perform this task twice in front of your volunteer, without giving him/her additional information, and then ask this person to repeat the task. Record your findings. Could your volunteer do it? 2. Examine your findings. It is likely that your volunteer was able to roughly replicate the task. What is this called? 3. How can you use this information in your daily life?

Why?

React: Describe research findings about observational learning and media violence

18			Following the tragic shootings at Columbine High School, school violence levels seem to be increasing at an alarming rate. It is easy to blame the media, parents, or video games for this, but good researchers look at all the possible explanations. Using information from the chapter, discuss at least three other possible explanations for this phenomenon. What do you think causes youth violence? Support you your answer using at least 3 sources other than your textbook.

the case of…the manager who doubled productivity

When Cliff Richards took over as the new department manager, he discovered that the existing staff was unusually inefficient and unproductive. Cliff learned that the previous manager often criticized and chided staff members for every little mistake until many of the best people had left, and the rest felt demoralized.
Cliff resolved not to criticize or punish staff members unless it was absolutely necessary. Instead, he frequently complimented them whenever they did a good job. He set daily production goals for them, and every Friday afternoon he bought lunch for all staff members who met their goals every day that week. Moreover, Cliff randomly conducted spot checks on what staff members were doing, and if he found them hard at work, he gave them small rewards such as extra break time. Within just three months, productivity in Cliff's department nearly doubled. It became the most efficient department in the company.

19			1. How did Cliff take advantage of principles of operant conditioning to modify his staff's behavior? 2. Why did Cliff's predecessor's strategy of punishing undesirable behavior not work very well? Even if punishment and reinforcement strategies were equally effective at controlling behavior, why would reinforcement remain preferable? 3. How did Cliff make use of partial reinforcement schedules? What kinds of schedules did he use? 4. How could Cliff use his technique to train his staff to complete a complex new task that they had never done before? 5. How might Cliff make use of principles of cognitive learning theory to improve his staff's productivity even further? .