PSYCH 214 Introduction to Conditioning and Learning, Fall 2013
Class Meetings: Mondays, 6:30-9:10 PM, Bolton B-91
Final Examination: No final exam, but class does meet.
Instructor: Marshall Lev Dermer
Office Hours: MW, 2:00-2:50 & by appointment Office Location: Garland Hall 213
Office Telephone: 414-751-0213
E-Mail Address: dermer@uwm.edu
Web page: https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/dermer/public/
Reading
Main text:
Miller, L.K. (2006). Principles of Everyday Behavior Analysis (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson
Wadsworth. ISBN-0-534-59994-X (Available at The Neebo Bookstore on Downer
Avenue.)
Supplementary text:
Skinner, B.F. (1953). Science and human behavior. New York: The Free Press. (You can
download a PDF here.
The Context for this Course
Each year towards the end of May, the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI)
holds its annual convention. In attendance are researchers who work in the area called the
experimental analysis of behavior. Their work, usually conducted at universities, provides the
empirical and conceptual foundations for the work of applied behavior analytic researchers and
service providers. At the convention the breadth of interests is very wide and includes: animal
training, traumatic brain injury, depression, phobias, energy consumption, systems of instruction
of various kinds, organizational behavior, safety, autism, and more.
It might be surprising that the interests of behavior analysts are so varied. Perhaps these varied
interests result from the systematic way we have gone about understanding behavior as well as
our approach bearing considerable fruit.
But what is behavior analysis? Well, if you interviewed folks at the convention I’m sure you
would hear various answers. My approach to begin answering this question is to start with a
definition of behavior.
Behavior is any action of an organism, mediated by its nervous system, that is controlled by
other aspects of the physical world. By this definition if you can find manipulable physical
events (operations) that control actions such as walking, problem solving, seeing, or dreaming
then these actions are behaviors.
Behavior analysts (a) discover the variables that control behavior (controlling variables), (b)
Conditioning & Learning
describe the relationships between these controlling variables and behavior, and (c) use (a) and
(b) to predict, understand, and improve behavior.
As you will see behavior analysis is down to earth and very practical. If this course is successful
you will begin to think and write as do behavior analysts as well as pragmatically and ethically
address problems. Who knows, some of you may enroll in the other behavior analytic courses at
UWM, earn advanced degrees, and show your stuff at the annual ABAI convention!
General Approach
For most weeks, we will read two chapters from Principles of Everyday Behavior Analysis
(PEBA). You will read these chapters because each week, at the end of class, you will complete
an 11-point examination with questions based on: the current readings and lecture as well as
previous readings and lectures. The questions will require filling in blanks or writing short
answers.
Here is the usual class procedure. At the beginning of class, I will distribute last week's
examination and answer questions about the examination. Next, I will ask if you have any
questions about the evening's readings and address your questions. If you don't have questions,
then I will talk about the readings or introduce other material relevant or related to the readings.
We will break for about ten-minute around 8 PM and then return for more lecture or discussion
with the 30-minute examination administered around 8:40 PM.
The Reading Assignments from PEBA and the Helpful Flash Cards
If you carefully read all of a lesson from PEBA and respond to all of a lesson's "requests" then
you will begin to talk and write like a behavior analyst. Also helpful is completing the three
examinations at the end of each lesson.
Besides working with PEBA, flash cards can help you master the technical terms. These cards
can be found at D2L. If you print them back-to-back on heavy paper then you can cut the paper
to produce the cards.
Writing Assignment
You shall write a paper not exceeding 1000 words. The paper should be written as a magazine
article. Your papers should, therefore, be interesting and may include a photograph or figure.
Although some model papers exceed 1000 words, you can find model papers here (just scroll
down to "Sample Articles").
Your paper should reflect some aspect of your personal life. I expect you to write, for example,
about yourself, your relative, your boss, your co-worker, your significant other, or your pet.
Although I expect you to write a magazine-like article, do not write about some abstract topic
that might be covered in "popular" magazines such as depression, habit disorders, anorexia, etc.
Check with me about your essay topic. Also, do not write about "self-" as in "self-control,"
"self-reinforcement," and "self-punishment" as these are complicated topics.
2
Conditioning & Learning
3
Please review the papers here. Some papers use the technical terms of behavior analysis as if the
paper had been prepared for a new magazine called Behavior Analysis Today. You can write this
way, but most papers use only a few or no technical terms. There is, however, one feature that all
papers share: they neither contain mentalistic explanations nor suggest mentalism.
Mentalistic explanations attribute behavior to hypothetical entities or processes inside the
organism for which there is no physical basis or if there is a physical basis that basis cannot be
manipulated. I have boldfaced the behaviors and italicized the mentalistic entities or processes
below. Examples of mentalistic explanation include: He gave her flowers because he is falling in
love. She smacked him because she was angry. She shook his hand because she is an extrovert.
He left because he desired to. and He worked hard because he was motivated. All of these
sentences "explain" behavior by appealing to an hypothetical entity or processes inside the
organism. These are mentalistic too : His giving her flower reflected his love for her. Her
smacking him in the face was a demonstration of her anger. Her shaking his hand was a
manifestation of her extroversion. His leaving reflected his desire. His working hard was an
indicant of his motivation. Above, mentalism directs our attention towards various, hypothetical,
internal "explanations," and so deters us from identifying manipulable environmental events
which control the behaviors: giving, smacking, shaking, leaving, and working. I'll be talking
about mentalism early in the semester, but of considerable value is my Some Questions Asked by
Students of Behavior Analysis.
If you submit your draft via email on or before Monday, November 11 then I’ll provide
feedback. Most students usually submit 3 drafts plus their final draft! I cannot promise reviewing
drafts submitted later. Your paper is due the last day of class.
Your paper should (a) enhance your understanding of course material and (b) enhance your
analytic and writing behaviors.
I consider writing a vital skill and its absence a disability. I will discuss writing October 7; if you
can't wait to improve your writing style, there is much to learn from my "site in progress" here.
Policy Regarding Missed Examinations
During the semester it may be inconvenient for you to complete an examination. So, as an
accommodation, when I calculate your semester grade for examinations, I’ll exclude your lowest
two examination scores.
You can make up an examination for a substantial reason such as a religious holiday, court
appearance, medical emergency, or death in the family. If you have such a reason then document
it and request a make-up examination. Please note, that there is a limit of two such make-up
examinations and they must be completed as soon as possible after the missed examination.
Tentative Calendar and Weekly Assignments
1. September 9
Conditioning & Learning
4
Introduction to Course
Lesson 1: Introduction to Behavior Analysis
2. September 16
Lesson 2: Definitions of Everyday Behaviors
Lesson 3: Methods of Observation of Everyday Behaviors
3. September 23
Lesson 4: Reliability & Validity of Everyday Observations
Lesson 5: Experimental Designs of Studying Everyday Behavior
4. September 30
Lesson 6: Visual Analysis of Behavioral Experiments
Rather than reading Lesson 6 from our textbook, please read the
revised lesson that appears at D2L. In the revision, the rules for
deciding whether a treatment caused behavior change appear on
pages 11-12. Use these rules to decide whether the treatment
caused behavior change for Figures 6-20 to 6-106 of the original
lesson.
I understand the rules to be: Are the last three observations
(LTOs)in the baseline and treatment conditions divided? Are the
LTOs stable? If the observations are divided and stable then the
differences are convincing. If a strong design (SD; one that rules
out alternative explanations) was used then the treatment caused
the difference.
But, suppose observations are divided and unstable. If neither the
LTOs for the baseline nor treatment conditions are trending toward
the LTOs for the other condition, then the behavior change is
convincing. If a SD was used then the treatment caused the
difference.
5. October 7
Lesson 7: Review of Behavioral Methods
On Writing Gracefully (at D2L)
6. October 14
Lesson 8: Reinforcement of Everyday Behaviors
Conditioning & Learning
Lesson 9: Extinction of Everyday Behaviors
7. October 21
Lesson 10: Differential Reinforcement of Everyday Behaviors
Lesson 11: Shaping Everyday Behaviors
8. October 28
Lesson 12: Reinforcer Effectiveness
Lesson 13: Ratio Schedules
9. November 4
Lesson 14: Interval Schedules of Reinforcement
Lesson 15: Review of Reinforcement
10. November 11 <E-mail drafts of papers for feedback.>
Lesson 16: Stimulus Discrimination
Lesson 17: Generalization Training of Everyday Behavior
11. November 18
Lesson 18: Programming & Fading
Lesson 19: Imitation & Instructions
12. November 25 (Nov 27-Dec 1 Thanksgiving Break)
Lesson 20: Conditioned Reinforcers & Everyday Situations
Lesson 21: Review of Stimulus Control
13. December 2
To be Announced (TBA)
14. December 9
TBA
15. December 16: (Monday of Finals week,)
TBA
5
6
Conditioning & Learning
Grades
I convert grades on examinations and papers into grade point values (GPVs) according to the
chart below. So if you scored 90% right on an examination that would be an "A-" or an "11."
Similarly
GPV
GRADE
% RIGHT
13+
A+
100
12
A
95
11
A90
10
B+
85
9
B
80
8
B75
7
C+
70
6
C
65
5
C60
4
D+
55
3
D
50
2
D45
1
F+
40
0
F
35
if you earned a "C+" on a paper that would be a "7."
Your course grade is the letter grade that corresponds to these weighted GPVs:
.80 * GPV for Examinations + .20 * GPV for Paper.
for the sample values above the equation is:
.80 * 11 + .20 * 7 ==> 8.8 + 1.4 ==> 10.2 ==> B+.
Class Atmosphere and Concerns
From time-to-time, I make mistakes and either with or without correction from others I
apologize. Your suggestions, of course, are appreciated and will be seriously considered. If you
have a concern about this course then please alert me so that I can address it. If you wish to
remain anonymous then e-mail your concern from an address from which you cannot be
identified or send an unsigned, typed letter to me. If you would like to talk or correspond with
someone besides me, Prof. Lima (mailto:suelima@uwm.edu) has volunteered to listen to your
concerns and to share them with me in a general way, without identifying any student.
Office Hours
I keep my office hours so, unless there is an emergency, you can count on my being in my office.
I can also schedule "special" appointments. Please feel free to meet and discuss the course or
your progress.
Arrangements for Students with Disabilities
If you have a documented disability and need special accommodations to meet any of the
requirements of this course, please contact me as soon as possible. I will need your VISA form,
which you can obtain at the Student Accessibility Center (Mitchell 112, phone 414-229-6287,
http://www4.uwm.edu/sac/).
Concerns
If you have a concern about this course then please bring it to my attention so that I can address
it. If you wish to remain anonymous then e-mail your concern from an address from which you
cannot be identified or send an unsigned, typed note to me. If you would like to talk or
Conditioning & Learning
correspond with someone besides me, Prof. Lima (mailto: suelima@uwm.edu) has volunteered
to listen to your concerns and to share them with me in a general way, without identifying you.
Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct--cheating on examinations, plagiarism, fabricating research--is
intolerable:
Preparation Time
Suggested Minimum Hours for Various Activities for Successfully
Completing PSYCH 214
Activity
Hours/Week
Weeks
Total
for Semester
Class Meetings
2.6
15
39
Read Text, Answer
Questions, Master Flash
Cards
6.5
15
97.5
Course Paper
7.0
1.0
7.0
Total Hours
143.5
Average Hours Per Week
~9.5
7