The big picture of this chapter is classical and operant conditioning, and strategies to increase appropriate behavior and decrease inappropriate behavior. Classical conditioning contains an unconditioned stimulus (creates response) and an unconditioned response (caused by stimulus). In this case, the student/child does not intentionally produce the response. Next, when a neutral stimulus (does not produce a reaction) is introduced, and associated with the unconditioned stimulus, it creates the same amount of response. Now, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus (causes same response as unconditioned stimulus), and the reaction becomes a conditioned reaction. This is an example of behavior change, or learning. Relatedly, operant conditioning causes a change in behavior. Operant conditioning uses a give more/take away system. For example, in a classroom, your students are reading their books silently during free reading time. To show your students that you approve of their behavior, you award them some socializing time. Oppositely, your students are talking much too loudly during free reading time. Therefore, you assign these students detention. Both of these responses are positive. More socializing time is positive reinforcement, detention is positive punishment. Another example, your children are at the dinner table, and do not want to eat their dinner of chicken, broccoli, and carrots. You tell your kids if they eat their chicken and carrots, you will take away their broccoli. This is an example of negative reinforcement. Negative punishment in a situation such as this one, would be taking away TV time for not eating their dinner.
One question about this chapter that I had were about some of the strategies. Such as: the shaping technique. How can you bring a response out of a child that does not originally show it?
A behaviorist defines learning by a change in behavior. There has to be a change in behavior to show what any student has learned.
I had a question about shaping as well. It was a hard concept for me to grasp because I didn't understand how one can bring about that desired response when it is never originally present, just like your question. I think what it might mean is just taking certain steps towards that response. In the book it gave an example of a student who struggles learning how to read getting praise whenever they sound at a word. I interpret shaping as starting off with basic steps that will lead to that desired response, like reading was for that student.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you organized the first section in going through to explain each topic within the chapter. What 'even bigger' ideas jumped out at you from the chapter? If you had to synthesize one or two sentences communicating the important information from the chapter, what would you say? What part of this would be useful to a teacher if you had to explain it to him? Or, not looking at the book, what pieces do you most clearly remember from the chapter (and how would you describe them in your own words)?
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping the class activity on shaping may have helped. Carly walked into the room and did not show the behavior of stepping onto the chair, right? Still, we reinforced each tiny step on the way to displaying that behavior (stepping closer to that corner of the room, leaning over the chair, etc). Alternatively, in the video with the pigeons (there was a better one that explained shaping which I should have used!), they didn't see the 'Turn' sign for the first time and turn around in a circle. At first, they gave them food when they saw the Turn sign and turned their head slightly. Then, they'd reward as they saw the sign and turned their body slightly.... eventually, after rewarding each step to the desired behavior, you can shape into the final behavior.
Very nice and succinct definition of behaviorism learning!