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Operant Conditioning Game
Operant Conditioning: Ch.5
A simple game is used to show how to do the basics of operant
conditioning, but more so about the difficulties in applying it
well.
Rules:
• Need to get person to place in room and in position desired.
• You can talk until person comes in room, then no talking.
• Use any consequences listed on the board. Use all or none,
no halfway.
• No other talking, gesturing.
NOTICE
Remember – get them to list some behaviors – rewards and punishments - before .
To person in hallway: first time – answer their questions. Their job is just to respond, let yourself be taught.
Second time – have them try to respond to some reward / punishment combos, not others, to see if you can
train the group to use them.
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Type 1, Why?
Nabi example - we can get animals and people to do amazing
things
Cat peeing on toilet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1edDfzluXE&NR=1,
wiping hand
Why not to teach him to flush:
The story you shared with us the other day, of the lady teaching her cat how to use the
toilet but not to flush, made me think of this! I thought you might enjoy it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXDD3JN4FGQ
Talking dog example - can we do everything?
Breeds and vocal cords - Huskies / Malamuts, etc
It's effective, it's used everywhere -parents, managers. Have a
little book on “The Greatest Management Principle” that talks
about how to manage bosses. Examples from training dogs,
from potty training (Bingo exercise)
Did you talk about training a pet to do something interesting?
You or the person you talked to…
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Type 2, What? behavior --> consequence (different from
classical conditioning)
types of reinforcers -- reinforce, punish, and positive (give) and
negative (take away) for each
See handout, end of document.
shaping - multiple behaviors
reinforcement schedules - not covered.
EXAMPLE OF NEG REINFORCEMENT
Dr. Link,
I am e-mailing you the example that I gave you in class about certain human
behaviors and their consequences yesterday:
Once a week at my job, my boss will get together with the "Big Bosses" to give
them a brief about what is going on in our office. To this day, I do not like
giving briefs, especially to the "Big Bosses" and my boss knows that. Since he
know that it is something I do not like to do, he told me, " If you are not
doing good throughout the week, you will sit in the meeting with them and brief
them on what it is going on in the office, but If all is well around your area,
I will do the briefings." Of course, he knew that by him saying that to me it
will motivate me to work hard and not let my guard down at work. In the end it
actually benefits him because before he goes into the meetings, I am the one
who briefs him about the things that are going on in the office. I know I could
do it myself, but I don't like to brief the "big bosses". Maybe I should take a
public speaking class.....
Thank You for your time,
Anaydeth Torres
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Type 3, How? Issues in application:
There is lots of good stuff here, and I think it opens up new questions.
1. You get what you reward
(knowledge, understanding, wisdom)
(see prep for conditioning, #3, below)
1pm Dan’s example about Evie and negative reinforcement - are you
rewarding reading, answer Q in class, or getting hand up first? (ends
up punishment for others who didn’t get to answer)
2. Need to be consistent, need the system (all the people interacting with
the person) to be consistent.
Some people slack off, you don’t see what others are doing
3. Get stuck using same reinforcers over and over
4. Punishment spiral (see switching from first to second behavior, below)
a. Get stuck taking away, taking away more
b. Stop rewarding any behavior - (see comparison to other
behaviors)
c. “You wanna go for two weeks?” Breakfast Club
d. Get out - tell them small behavior that can get reward
5. Tough on the problem, easy on the person
Disappointed example again - disappointed in behavior, but I know you
can do it.
6. Hard to do, lots of work to come up with plan, observe, and administer
reinforcements and punishments (Ted)
7. Time intensive (Ted)
8. Need to be hard hearted in follow through (Ted)
9. Parent focused discipline vs. child focused discipline
In response to kid’s behavior or because you’re frustrated/tired
Game - you laugh because it’s funny, not as reinforcer
10. People leave, give up on the system.
Game - they kept doing stuff
1pm Amani’s example - they just leave the house
People stop as soon as consequences stop Erin - Catholic school - waited 2 weeks to give out diplomas
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Or they react later - rebel
Communication a. Break into pieces - by telling them what you are rewarding, you
are helping structure the task for them
“That was funny, now it’s not”
“You just need to get your book and papers out”
1pm - Martin’s example
11. Affect regulation and saving face - time out is not just punishment, it
may be preferred.
Martin again, and Amanda’s example - she goes into room when she
gets overheated.
12. History of Consequences / Reinforcers, especially early on
11am example - Tim - Addicts / alocoholics
13. Comparison to other behaviors
11am - Andi - doing bad stuff to seek attention
Situation
Response /
Behavior
Consequence
do bad stuff
get attention
do good stuff
no attention
Future
Behavior
do normal stuff no attention
1pm - Amanda, Keyonna’s example - “I’m disappointed”
only works if you’ve been amazed, impressed, proud a
lot before that
14. We can often reward bad behavior, when we’re not thinking about it.
Blood! Not funny
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Preparation for operant conditioning:
1. Find out what's reinforcing & punishing to other person.
Is vacation reinforcing for all employees?
 corollary: can easily be satiated (ex. dogs - don't eat before training)
rats: starved to 80% of body weight before training
2. Break down, clearly communicate behaviors you want.
Part of the practice of operant conditioning: (see #3 above)
a. monkey's paw story, be careful what you wish for
b. have to break it down into simple behaviors
c. transition between behaviors is hard
3. Carefully observe if the person is doing the behaviors or not
These things have major benefits themselves, regardless of the actual
effect of being reinforced or punished for a behavior. (This is also a
complexity)
Switching from first to second behavior:
need to stop rewarding one behavior, while encouraging other. Can be
confusing to person being trained.
The process is good, even if where they place the cause and effect isn't:
So, in marriage counseling, if partners are trained to use operant
conditioning on spouses, and want to do it well, they would have to figure
out appropriate rewards -- e.g. what's a romantic evening to her?
Describe his favorite day? what tasks doesn't he like to do? -- both the
knowledge gained and the process of acquiring it (like prepping for the
Newlywed game) are extremely helpful to the relationship.
1st vs. 2nd time through game they can practice these.
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Type 4, What if? Complexities
Use the story of a 13 year old boy for whom operant
conditioning worked on his obsessive-compulsive disorder, but
the parents stopped because it was unnatural.
1. It is at once cruel, undignified and very loving
2. Rewards may create new problems (e.g. giving candy for
good behavior, now you've got to reinforce correct eating
behavior)
3. If you condition them, they can condition you
when you are trying to train, you are being trained
4. Back to contrast: has to be part of a pattern, reinforcement
history
a. in context (relative to other consequences for other
behaviors)
b. You don't control all resources
There are too many other people doing this, including
self-reward (Andy & altruism)
5. must know exactly what behaviors you want
The things we really want are not specific behaviors:
Learning, thinking for self,
talking dogs
Union - slow down - follow the rules
not training to think, just to do - big issue with autism
training now
6. many behaviors, which is being reinforced
7. Hawthorne effect - if you are paying that much attention to
figure out desired behavior, notice/record behavior, reward
appropriately
The beauty of all the issues and complexities: if it’s done well,
you really get to know the person. Hawthorne effect: you know
me and you care.
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My take home exam question now has all 4 parts. It separates
out the type 3 and 4 information better.
3. Set up an operant conditioning system for something you
care about:
1. Identify the behavior you want to change.
Identify the steps of the behavior you are shaping.
2. Identify the rewards and punishments that could be used
(reasonably) – identify whether they are positive
reinforcements, negative reinforcements, positive
punishments, or negative punishments
3. Identify one issue in application (similar to exercise in class)
4. Apply and discuss one of the complexities we talked about
to this situation.
Notes & Suggestions: #1: Not steps you will take, but pay
attention to idea of shaping. In class examples, we had a
complex enough behavior to allow for shaping. You might
need to try it a little in real life to get #3 & #4. Could be
getting the dog to fetch the paper or getting the boss to
give your schedule more in advance.
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Types of Reinforcers Handout
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2.
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Operant Conditioning/Behaviorism
Basic Model Changes Behavior:
Situation --> Response
--> Consequence --> Future Behavior
in class --> you ask question --> get praised --> ask more questions
in class --> smart aleck
--> shot down --> fewer of those comments
CONFUSING:
in class
in class
-> you ask question --> get praised --> ask more questions
-> you ask question --> get teased --> don’t ask questions
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Different Types
Positive Reinforcements:
Behavior
good salesperson
--->
behavior
learn material
--->
Negative Reinforcements:
Behavior
act well or behave
properly
nice to customers
--->
show you are working
hard in class
--->
(in math class)
show you know the
material
--->
--->
Positive Punishments:
Behavior
talk back to parents
--->
be lazy/not finish chores --->
talk in class
--->
Negative Punishments:
Behavior
speeding
--->
talk back to parents
--->
of Consequences
Positive Reinforcements:
commission
get good grade, praise
Negative
Reinforcements:
Take away chore
take away changing
schedule every week
take away some
requirements of class (e.g.
have paper typed), or take
away late penalties
only have to do every 5th
problem
Positive Punishments:
get spanked
do extra chores
do extra assignments
Negative Punishments:
take away money (fines)
take away your license
get grounded (take away
freedom)
questions to ask -are you trying to increase the behavior? yes -- then reinforcement
no - then punishment
are you adding something to normal routine? yes - then positive
are you removing something from normal routine? yes - then negative