Revised on 1/4/14
Malott points out several places in Ch. 1 that whether or not something functions as a reinforcer in a particular instance depends on whether the frequency of the behavior it immediately follows increases when circumstances are similar in the future. That's kind of a tangled sentence, so you should re-read it as many times as you need to in order to understand what I just said.
One of the places he makes this point is on p. 8 (the "Reinforcer Assessment" section). We can't simply make the blanket statement that candy is a reinforcer, because for some people, if you give them candy immediately following a target behavior, the future frequency of that behavior doesn't increase. And even if candy often works as a reinforcer for someone, there may be times when it doesn't. So the only way to know for sure if something functions as a reinforcer for a given organism performing a given behavior in a given type of situation is to see if the frequency of that behavior increases when that organism is in a similar situation in the future.
Despite all this, it's certainly true that some things almost always function as reinforcers for most normal people in most normal situations. A good example is money. So as long as we realize the limitations of what we're saying, it's OK to refer to those things as reinforcers. Can you think of some examples?
Monday, August 23, 2010
Reinforcer is as reinforcer does
Labels:
Principles of Behavior: Ch. 01
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I teach courses in the principles and applications of Behavior Analysis, the science and technology of behavior, which is different from other approaches in psychology in that it takes behavior as a subject matter in its own right, rather than as a tool for studying something else, such as the mind. The main purpose of this blog is to be a supplementary means of communication with students who are taking my courses.
2 comments:
i wonder if the emphasis should balance out between both those behaviours that increase when followed by something 'reinforcing' and those that are simply 'maintained' at the current rate...
i don't think my rate of 'door handle opening' really 'increases' because it typically leads me to access the room i need to enter (the reinforcer?)... I'd say it simply maintains the likelihood/probability that i'll continue to perform that response (the turning of door handle) as it has served me well in the past.
it strikes me that most folk conceptualise 'reinforcers' or 'reinforcement' as something delibrately added to the environment by parent/teacher/government...(e.g. you get sweetie for good behaviour, you get star for homework, you get tax breaks for donating to certain party etc)... but i think that that this form of reinforcement makes up only 5-10% of the reinforcing consequences. the vast majority are those naturally occurring contingencies that dominate our lives (e.g. you turn car wheel-it steers car that way, you text a friend-they reply, you post a facebook status-someoe 'likes' it, you walk down the stairs-you get downstairs, you press the keypad-you see words/letters on screen, you look at TV-you get to absorb latest news/gossip/show, you tie your shoes-et cetera, ad infinitum
anyways- my point is twofold, (but maybe its false?) reinforcers can simply maintain behaviour not necessarily increase it... and reinforcers are everywhere! you can't not be reinforced by something if you not yet a dead man/woman!
would welcome clarification!
thank you for your site- its excellent. making me 'think'.
its quality will probably maintain my web-site searching behaviour...
yours reinforcingly,
Daniel
You're right, Daniel, that reinforcing a behavior doesn't always mean that its future frequency will increase, but that it will maintain. I appreciate your making this point because it makes me think seriously about how I teach about reinforcers & reinforcement.
I'm sure you're also correct that the vast majority of reinforcers we receive are delivered automatically & not because someone delivered them. Another good point that ought to be emphasized when we teach these principles.
Thanks!
Post a Comment