Reinforcement

Who has trained a dog to shake hands? If you have, did you pat the dog on the head and praise it? Have you used an umbrella to stop rain from falling on you? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you have used REINFORCEMENT = applying a positive stimulus or removing a negative stimulus to strengthen or increase the likelihood of a particular response that it follows. A response that is rewarded is strengthened e.g. If a teacher praises you for offering to read, you will offer more often. Your own example: _______________________________________________ A response that is punished is weakened e.g. If you get a detention for coming to school late, you will try harder to arrive on time. Your own example: _______________________________________________ Reinforcer: is any object or event that changes the probability that an operant behaviour will occur again. Reward is a term used interchangeably for reinforcer however that term presumes that the outcome is a positive one (ie, satisfaction or pleasure) and that it increases or strengthens behaviour which it may not do. Schedules of reinforcement Reinforcement can be provided on a continuous or partial schedule. Continuous = reinforcing every correct response after it occurs Partial = reinforcing some correct responses but not all of them. Partial reinforcement was used by Skinner when he experimented on rats. He ran out of pellets and had no choice but to deliver reinforcement partially. This type of reinforcement is stronger and less likely to weaken than if continuous reinforcement was used. Partial reinforcement Schedule of reinforcement frequency and manner in which a desired response is reinforced. - number (ratio) - amount of time elapsed (interval) - regular basis (fixed) - unpredictable ( variable) Read Box 2, pg 471 - 473