Download Chp 9

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People’s behaviors are largely the result of their
experiences with environmental stimuli.
› The “writing” of our behavior is called
conditioning.
Learning is the relationships among stimuli and
responses.
Learning involves a behavior change.
› Note that this does not include mental events.
Learning is most likely to occur when the stimuli
and response occur contiguously.
Most species learn in a similar manner.
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
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A form of learning in which a new
involuntary response is acquired due to
two stimuli being presented
simultaneously
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Changes in our behavior resulting from
an association made between thoughts,
feelings, and/or behaviors and an event
or emotional state
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Certain stimuli can elicit a reflexive (innate and
unlearned) response.
 The reflexive stimulus is called the UCS
(unconditioned stimulus) and elicits an
unconditioned response (UCR).
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› Air puff (UCS) produces an eye blink (UCR).
In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus (NS) is
repeatedly paired with the UCS.
 Eventually, the NS elicits a response similar to the
UCR.
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› The NS is a conditioned stimulus (CS).
› Reponse is now a conditioned response (CR).
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
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People sometimes respond
emotionally to fairly “neutral” stimuli.
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When a stimulus is associated with
something that makes us fearful, we
may begin feeling fearful of the
stimulus itself.
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
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How is classical conditioning applicable
to classroom conditions?
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When students encounter unpleasant
stimuli in school, they may dislike school
in general.
› A mean teacher may create a dislike for the
subject.
› Frequently failing tests may cause a student to
hate the subject.
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
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Generalization
› A stimulus similar to the conditioned
stimulus elicits a response.
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Discrimination
› Only the conditioned stimulus elicits a
response.
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Extinction
› The conditioned response gradually
disappears.
 However, we can experience spontaneous
recovery.
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.

This theory proposes that we learn something (or
do something) because the consequences are
so desirable that we are inclined to do the
behavior again.
› Reinforcement
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OR behaviors can be unlearned (or stopped)
because the consequences are such that we
are inclined to NOT do the behavior again.
› Punishment
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.

The purpose of reinforcement is to
increase the likelihood that a behavior
will occur again (or occur to begin with).
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The purpose of punishment is to
decrease the likelihood that a behavior
will occur again.
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Both can be given in a positive or
negative form.
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.

Positive means a stimulus is added.
› Positive reinforcement: Something pleasurable is added
to increase the occurrence of the behavior.
 Money for grades, treat for a puppy who went potty
outside
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Negative means a stimulus is removed.
› Negative reinforcement: Something unpleasant is
removed to increase the occurrence of the behavior.
 Chris doesn’t have to clean the garage if he mows the
lawn today; the students don’t have to take the final if
they have perfect attendance
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
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Specify the desired
behavior at the
beginning
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Make responseconsequences
contingencies explicit
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Identify
consequences that
are truly reinforcing
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Consider using group
contingency when
reinforcing behavior in
a large group
Make sure students
have an opportunity
to earn public
reinforcement
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Be consistent
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Continuously monitor
student progress
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.

Studies show that reinforcement has longer
lasting effects on behavioral changes than does
punishment.
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Punishment leads to immediate compliance,
but often leads to:
› Ability to avoid being caught
› Negative associations with punisher
› Only temporary behavior changes
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Reinforcement teaches what is expected;
punishment only teaches what is not.
› Of punishment, removal works best
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.

Reinforcement can be continuous or
intermittent.
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Continuous is best to start a new behavior, then
move on to intermittent reinforcement.
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Schedules are either based on time (interval)
or on behaviors (ratio).
› Can be fixed or variable
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.

Fixed interval: Set amount of time will pass before
next reinforcement.
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Variable interval: Average amount of time will pass
before next reinforcement.
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Fixed ratio: Set amount of behaviors will occur
before next reinforcement.
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Variable ratio: Average amount of behaviors will
occur before next reinforcement.
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.

Shaping: Process of reinforcing every
behavior that is closer to the desired
behavior
› We use shaping to teach music.
› Even “Bs” and “Cs” are a form of shaping.
› Shaping helps to get a new behavior started.
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
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Apply extinction
› Do not reinforce undesirable behaviors
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Cue students when they are engaged in
inappropriate behaviors
› Use body language, eye contact, stand by them,
brief verbal cue
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Reinforce an incompatible behavior
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Use punishment wisely, appropriately, and
humanely
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.

Presentation punishment
› Something unpleasant is added to decrease
the occurrence of the behavior.
 Spanking for smarting off; a failing grade for not
studying
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Removal punishment
› Something pleasant is removed to decrease
the occurrence of the behavior.
 Grounded from the phone for being late; removal of
recess privileges for being too loud in class
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.

Promote intrinsic reinforcement
› Don’t just reinforce test or homework
scores—reinforce effort and interest
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Use intermittent reinforcement
› More resistant to extinction
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.

Three common approaches:
› Applied behavioral analysis (behavior
modification)
 Systematic application of principles of behaviorism
› Functional Analysis
 Focuses on changing response-reinforcement
contingencies
› Positive behavioral support
 Identifying purposes of undesirable behaviors and
providing alternative behaviors
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.

Attempts at changing only behaviors may ignore
cognitive factors interfering with learning.
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Reinforcement for academic tasks may encourage
students to do things quickly rather than well.
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Extrinsic reinforcement of an activity that students
already find intrinsically reinforcing may undermine
student interest in the task itself.
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.

Reinforcement is critically important in
determining learning and behavior.
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Punishment is not very effective for
permanently eliminating undesirable behavior.
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Interest and positive feelings are conducive to
learning.
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Repetition without reinforcement does not
enhance learning.
Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners, sixth edition
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.