Module+10+Operant+&+Cognitive+Approaches



Essential Question: **//Are grades an effective way to ensure student performance in school?//**

This is one other approach to learning. The other two are classical conditioning (which you have already examined), and cognitive learning. Most of us call it the carrot (rewards) and the stick (punishment). It is most commonly used in schools; the carrot is the grade. Is it effective? **You be the judge**.


 * Read: pp. 214-226**


 * Notes for the module: [[file:Module 10 Notes.key]]**

Ever wonder how animals get trained to perform tricks. It isn't easy, but with patience you can teach a dog quite a few tricks. It just takes time. It is about creating a system of rewards (positive rewards - giving a pleasurable stimuli, or negative rewards - removing an aversive stimuli) and punishments (positive punishment - adding a negative stimuli, or negative punishment - removal of a something which gives pleasure). Read p. 216 and answer these questions:
 * Lesson 1**
 * 1) Provide an example of:
 * A positive reward (or reinforcement):
 * A negative reward (or reinforcement):
 * A positive punishment:
 * A negative punishment:
 * (Note: Whenever we speak of 'positive' we are adding something [pleasurable or painful] and whenever we speak of 'negative' we are taking something away [pleasurable or painful])
 * 1) Which do you believe is better, a positive reward or a positive punishment, when training a dog? Why?
 * 2) Which do you believe is better, a negative punishment or a positive punishment, if a teen-ager comes home four hours later than an agreed upon time? Why?
 * 3) **When are grades in school a reward? A punishment? What does this tell you about them? Blog this.**

Operant conditioning and classical conditioning are very similar, but have some distinctions. Read p. 216 and in your groups complete the handout that is given to you in class. See handout 10.1. There are 8 scenarios. For those students that are absent for this class, please complete this exercise instead:
 * Lesson 2**



Yes the stick and especially the carrot are as effective as the schedules (or period of delivery) for which they are applied. Take for instance animal trainers. You will notice that there is always some sort of reinforcement or praise given to the animal. It usually is given right after the animal's performance (see p. 218 and Bart the bear). For Bart, the apple given immediately after performing a desirable behavior is called a **primary reinforcer** - a stimulus that is innately satisfying and requires no learning on the part of the subject to become pleasurable, i.e. food, water or (gulp) sex. Of course humans are far more complicated in this regard than animals and so we can delay a reinforcer or teach its value through acculturation. These are called **secondary reinforcers** - these are stimuli that one learns the value of, they are linked to primary reinforcers, i.e. coupons that can be redeemed for something, grades, and even praise figure into this. Read pp. 220 - 221 Part I:Take notes on:
 * Lesson 3**
 * Schedules of reinforcement:
 * Continuous Reinforcement
 * Partial Reinforcement:
 * Fixed-ratio schedule
 * Fixed-interval schedule
 * Variable-ratio schedule
 * Variable-interval schedule

Part II: After you have finished this you will be given a set of behaviors for each you are to identify the schedule of reinforcement used. The first one appears below as an example. The other twelve will come your way. Do the numbers that you are asked.
 * 1) A person buys a power ball ticket (6/49 in Canada) and wins. Of course you could be a million tickets and never win the grand prize, but buying as many as that will almost certainly result in your winning something as such it takes several attempts. The one that wins we will never know, but our hope is that the next one is always the winner. This keeps us hooked on trying. Thus, this schedule is variable ratio schedule.

Part III: Three case studies will be presented to each of the groups in class. Choose any two of the three, and complete.

Be sure to have read pp. 223-226 for this. Several statements will be read to you in class regarding human behavior. You will be asked to take a place in the class that reflects your personal feelings. Those will be **Agree - Strongly Agree - Disagree - Strongly Disagree.** You will be asked to make a point (read: argument supporting your position) in order to convince the student(s) with an opposing view to your own. Here are the statements: Consider these and prepare to "clarify your values." Good luck
 * Lesson 4 Values Walk**
 * All of our behavior has been conditioned since birth. There is not such thing as true freedom.
 * Romantic love is a cultural invention and a learned behavior.
 * Spanking children is the most effective way to change behavior.
 * Shows like "Mighty Morphin Rangers" and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" cause children to engage in violent behavior.
 * Rewarding people for good behavior is manipulative and shouldn't be done.
 * Parents should never buy their children weapons - real or pretend.
 * If conditioning principles can work to modify behavior, they should be used to improve society even without individual consent.

Read pp. 228-9 The following points are of importance to our comprehension of learning insofar as these last two modules are concerned.
 * Conclusion**
 * Classical and operant conditioning are occur extensively in the lives of animals in terms of learning.
 * Cognitive learning also is very important. It cannot always be observed, but it does occur. Therefore, observation is also important to learning.
 * Motivation is important to learning. As are attention, memory and imitation. Thus modeling is very important.
 * Some forms of learning are innate, we are born with it. Largely for survival reasons. The rooting reflex is an example. Imprinting (see p. 230) explains this.
 * Negative punishments, over the long term, may be of greater value than positive punishments in correcting behaviors.
 * There must be a biological preparedness for learning to occur. That is, you can't teach a chimpanzee to talk because they do not have the vocal physiology and brain parts for this task.

//**Liar Liar**// media type="youtube" key="k0DA75eOltA?fs=1" height="385" width="480" //**Fly Away Home**// media type="youtube" key="FCjlubLJcxk?fs=1" height="385" width="480"
 * Hollywood and Operant Conditioning**