1. Behaviorism
B. F. Skinner

2. B.F. Skinner ( )

3. B. F. Skinner
( )
Skinner’s life
Predetermined, lawful, and orderly
A product of past reinforcements
1925: Hamilton College (NY): degree in English, no courses in psychology
Read about Pavlov’s and Watson’s experimental work
1931: Ph.D. from Harvard

4. B. F. Skinner
Dissertation: a reflex is a correlation between
S and R
1938: The Behavior of Organisms
1953: Science and Human Behavior
1990: Vigorously attacked the growth of cognitive
psychology
1990 (final article): "Can Psychology Be a Science
of Mind?"

5. B. F. Skinner
Dealt only with observable behavior
The task of scientific inquiry:
To establish functional relationships between experimenter-controlled stimulus and organism’s response
No presumptions about internal entities - The "empty organism" approach

6. B. F. Skinner
Single subject design
Large numbers of subjects not necessary
Statistical comparisons of group means not
necessary
A single subject provides valid and replicable
results
Requires "sufficient" data collected under well-
controlled experimental conditions
Statistics obscure individual responses and
differences

7. B. F. Skinner - Operant conditioning
Watson, Pavlov - Respondent behavior: elicited by specific observable stimulus

8. B. F. Skinner
Operant behavior: occurs without an observable external stimulus
Operates on the organism’s environment
The behavior is instrumental in securing a stimulus more representative of everyday learning

9. B. F. Skinner
Science of behavior: Study of conditioning and extinction of operants
Dependent variable in the "Skinner box": rate of response
Law of acquisition
key variable: reinforcement
practice provides opportunities for
additional reinforcement
Differs from Thorndike and Hull’s positions
Thorndike and Hull: explanatory
Skinner: strictly descriptive

11. Skinner’s Theory
“All we need to know in order to describe and explain behavior is this: actions followed by good outcomes are likely to recur , and actions followed by bad outcomes are less likely to recur.” (Skinner, 1953)

12. Central Human Motive in Skinner’s Theory
Environmental consequences shape behavior

13. LAW OF EFFECT Behavior Better state Increased
of affairs probability of behavior occurring again
Behavior Worse state Decreased
of affairs probability of behavior occurring again
Behavior A
Behavior B
Behavior C Better state Behavior C
Behavior D of affairs emerges as the
Behavior E most probable

14. Laboratory Examples Operant Conditioning Exploring Scratching
Key-pecking
Grooming
Defecating
Urinating
Pigeon
Reinforcement
(in a Skinner box)
(food pellet)

16. OPERANT CONDITIONING TECHNIQUES
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT = increasing a behavior by administering a reward
NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT = increasing a behavior by removing an aversive stimulus when a behavior occurs
PUNISHMENT = decreasing a behavior by administering an aversive stimulus following a behavior OR by removing a positive stimulus
EXTINCTION = decreasing a behavior by not rewarding it

17. B. F. Skinner
Research foci
Role of punishment in response acquisition
Schedules of reinforcement
Extinction of operants
Secondary reinforcement
Generalization
Subjects included humans as well as animals

18. B. F. Skinner
Schedules of reinforcement
Reinforcement is necessary in operant behavior
Reinforcement schedules
continuous
fixed and variable
ratio and interval

19. SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT
Interval schedules: reinforcement occurs after a certain amount of time has passed
Fixed Interval = reinforcement is presented after a fixed amount of time
Variable Interval = reinforcement is delivered on a random/variable time schedule
Ratio schedules: reinforcement occurs after a certain number of responses
Fixed Ratio = reinforcement presented after a fixed # of responses
Variable Ratio = reinforcement delivery is variable but based on an overall average # of responses

20. LIMITED EFFECTS OF PUNISHMENT
Punishment does not teach appropriate behaviors
Must be delivered immediately & consistently
May result in negative side effects
Undesirable behaviors may be learned through modeling (aggression)
May create negative emotions (anxiety & fear)

21. HOW COMPLEX BEHAVIORS ARE LEARNED
Successive approximation/shaping = reinforcing behaviors as they come to approximate the desired behavior
Superstitious Behavior = when persistent behaviors are reinforced coincidentally rather than functionally
Self-control of behavior
Stimulus avoidance
Self-administered satiation
Aversive stimulation
Self-reinforcement

24. B. F. Skinner
Verbal behavior
Speech
Comprised of responses
Can be reinforced by speech sounds or gestures

25. B. F. Skinner
Aircribs and teaching machines
1945: aircrib
Teaching machine
invented in the 1920s by Pressey
promoted by Skinner
1968: The Technology of Teaching

28. B. F. Skinner
Walden Two (1948): A behavioristic society
Program of behavioral control
A technology of behavior
Application of laboratory findings to society at large

29. B. F. Skinner
Behavior modification
Used in a variety of applied settings
Reinforce desired behavior and extinguish
undesired behavior
Punishment is not used

30. B. F. Skinner
Criticisms of Skinner’s behaviorism
His extreme positivism
His opposition to theory
His willingness to extrapolate beyond the data
The narrow range of behavior studied
Problem of instinctive drift
His position on verbal behavior

31. B. F. Skinner
Contributions of Skinner’s behaviorism
Shaped American psychology for 30 years
His goal: the improvement of society
Srength and ramifications of his radical behaviorism

32. Social Learning Theories: The Cognitive Challenge
The context
Skinner (1963): "Behaviorism at Fifty"
Progress in experimental psychology in U.S. due to
behaviorism
Social learning/sociobehaviorist approach fomented by
many, including some behaviorists, reflected
broader cognitive revolution in psychology
1995: consciousness has overtly and publicly returned to psychology