Download Sport Psychology: History

REINFORCEMENT
AND FEEDBACK
Matt Vaartstra
University of Idaho
Edited from Damon Burton
REINFORCEMENT
TERMINOLOGY
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What is reinforcement?
What is punishment?
What is extinction?
What is the difference between
positive and negative reinforcement?
What is the difference between
punishment and response-cost
punishment?
5 BASIC RESPONSE
CONSEQUENCES
Present
Remove
Extinction
(weakens behavior)
Positive
Stimuli
Positive Reinforcement
(strengthens behavior)
Aversive
Stimuli
Punishment
(suppresses/weakens
behavior)
Response Cost
Punishment
(weakens behavior)
Negative
Reinforcement
(strengthens
behavior)
WHAT IS
REINFORCEMENT?
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Reinforcement – is anything that increases
likelihood that a behavior will occur in the future
under the same conditions. It may enhance both
the quantity and/or quality of a behavior.
For example, telling an athlete “good job” when
she masters a new skill.
For example, increasing an athlete’s playing time
for their hard work in practice.
TYPES OF SPORT
REINFORCEMENT

What is the most frequently used
reinforcer in sport?
• verbal praise

What is the most powerful
reinforcer in sport?
• playing time
WHAT IS
PUNISHMENT?

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Punishment – is the presentation of an
aversive stimuli in order to decrease the
quantity and/or quality of a behavior.
For example:
– Criticizing an athlete who is not paying attention.
– Suspending an athlete from the team for 4 games
for breaking team rules.
TYPES OF SPORT
PUNISHMENT

What is the most frequently used
punishment in sport?
• stern rebuke

What is the most powerful
punishment in sport?
• lack of playing time, suspension or
dismissal from team
EXTINCTION

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Extinction – removal of a positive
stimulus that has in the past followed
certain behavioral results.
For example, when an athlete no
longer get attention for being the
“team clown,” his showoff behavior
will normally decrease.
POSITIVE VERSUS NEGATIVE
REINFORCEMENT

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Positive reinforcement – present or add positive
stimuli in order to increase the likelihood that the
behavior, (i.e., quantity, quality, or both) will occur
under the same conditions.
Example?
Negative reinforcement – remove or take away an
aversive stimuli in order to strengthen a behavior
that results in successful avoidance. It could
change both the quantity and quality of a behavior.
Example?
TWO FORMS OF
PUNISHMENT
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Punishment entails presentation of
aversive stimuli with the effect of
suppressing the behavior.
Example?
Response Cost Punishment – contingently
taking away something valued by the
athlete.
Example?
NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS
OF PUNISHMENT
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Punishment promotes fear and can
prompt athletes to become motivated
by “fear of failure.”
Develops an unpleasant team climate
that reduces enjoyment
Reduces coach’s ability to be a good
“role model”
Inhibits ability to develop good coachathlete relationships
WHY AVERSIVE CONTROL
COACHES SUCCEED
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They communicate caring for players as
people so “abuse is not taken
personally.”
They recruit talented athletes.
They recruit “thick-skinned” athletes
who are less bothered by abuse.
They are skilled teachers and tacticians
who can overcome the abuse.
POSITIVE CONTROL
COACHES
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Like John Wooden, they view mistakes
as the “stepping stones to
achievement.”
Emphasis is on improving skills rather
than “not screwing up.”
Most top coaches and teachers use a
very high percentage of positive
reinforcement (i.e., 80-90%) and a
minimal amount of punishment.
WHY POSITIVE CONTROL
COACHES SUCCEED
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Foster a positive learning environment in
which mistakes are viewed as a valuable
part of learning.
Promote positive coach-athlete
relationships.
Athletes like coaches more.
Athletes enjoy sport experience more.
Create high team cohesion.
Athletes perform better.
HOW REINFORCEMENT
ENHANCES BEHAVIOR
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Find a reinforcer that works for each
athlete
Make reinforcement dependent on
performing the desired behavior
Make sure the athlete specifically
understands why the reinforcement
is being given
WHAT IS “SHAPING?”

“Shaping” – is the process of using
reinforcement to gradually enhance
performance using operant conditioning
principles.
 Operant conditioning – the process of
allowing an animal to operate in its
environment until it performs correctly and
then reinforce them for it to motivate them
to repeat the desired behavior
“SHAPING” -- HUMAN
OPERANT CONDITIONING
 Shaping – breaks down a complex skill
into a series of manageable parts or
goals and systematically uses
reinforcement to gradually improve
performance.
 Each time the first goal is attained, the
individual is reward
immediate reinforcement
reinforced every time
“SHAPING” -- HUMAN
OPERANT CONDITIONING
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
Shaping is “catching athletes doing
something well or at least better.”
Gradually reinforcement is modified to
enhance retention
delayed reinforcement
reinforce every 3, 5, 7, & 9 times
Once Goal 1 is mastered, then shaping
moves on to Step 2 and the process
repeats
REINFORCEMENT
SCHEDULES
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Continuous schedules – reinforce
immediately and every time and they
enhance immediate motivation.
Intermittent schedules –
reinforcement is delayed and occurs on
a schedule such as every 3rd, 5th, 7th, or
9th time in order to enhance long-term
motivation and retention.
WHAT TO REINFORCE
Effort
 Learning new material
 Skill improvement
 Mental preparation
 Strategy selection and use
 Reaching goals

SHAPING PROCESS
B
4
3
2
1
A
Shaping – start with
Step 1 and work on
it until behavior is
consistent and then
move to Step 2,
then Step 3 and
finally Step 4
FOOTBALL SHAPING
EXAMPLE
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Komaki & Barnett (1977) identified 3
offensive plays that were each broken
down into 5 stages judged crucial for
overall play execution.
For one play, the 5 stages included:
•
•
•
•
•
Quarterback-center exchange
Quarterback-right halfback fake
Fullback blocking the end
Quarterback decision to pitch or keep
Quarterback action
BEHAVIORAL COACHING
PROCEDURES
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Execute the play and “freeze” on the
whistle.
Coach judges correct execution and
says “freeze” if incorrect.
Coach describes the incorrect
behavior.
Coach models the correct behavior.
Athletes imitate correct behavior and
feel what good position should be.
FOOTBALL SHAPING
EXAMPLE
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Each time the play was run, the coach
checked off which stages of the play
were executed successfully.
Reinforcement was given to players for
the stages run successfully.
Performance increased significantly for
each of the 3 plays following shaping
(~20%).
Systematic reinforcement can be a great
performance enhancement strategy.
REINFORCEMENT AND
INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
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Self-Determination Theory –
confirms that reinforcement doesn’t
have to reduce intrinsic motivation
as long as it is given to:
• Recognize increased competence
• Enhance greater levels of selfdetermination
 Contingent rewards promote IM
MOTIVATIONAL CLIMATE
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Shaping creates a mastery-oriented
motivational climate that fosters IM,
learning, and improvement.
Outcome-based rewards promote an
ego-oriented motivation climate that
prompts overemphasis on winning,
fear of failure, underdevelopment, and
underachievement
PERFORMANCE
FEEDBACK
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75% of John Wooden’s feedback to his
team was instructional in nature.
Feedback motivates directly.
Feedback can also
 focus attention
 enhance effort
 promote persistence
 stimulate use of new task strategies
BEHAVIORAL COACHING
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Teach skills in a way that allows for
greater opportunities to use
reinforcement.
Emphasis is on systematically making
closer and closer approximations of
correct technique and form.
Understand correct form and focus on
what it feels like.