ABOUT BEHAVIORISM BF SKINNER B.F. Skinner 1904-1990

B.F. Skinner  Born in 1904  Dad was a lawyer  Mom an upstanding housewife with a strong vision of what was “right” and “wrong”  “Tinkerer” things – liked to build

Skinner the tinkerer Tinkerer

Skinner the tinkerer Tinkerer

Skinner the tinkerer Tinkerer

B.F. Skinner-the writer  Majored in English Hamilton College  The Writer  Lived in Greenwich village at Writer

B.F. Skinner-the writer “I was very bitter about my failure in Literature and I was sure writers never really understood anything. And that is why I turned to Psychology” Writer

B.F. Skinner-psychologist Psychologist The Grad Student Harvard at Introspection-not interested in “the inside story”  The Professor Professor

B.F. Skinner-troublemaker Troublemaker  The Troublemaker  “Would you, if you had to choose, burn your children or your books?”

B.F. Skinner-troublemaker Troublemaker  Walden 2  Utopian society

Twin Oaks, Virginia

Twin Oaks, Virginia

Twin Oaks, Virginia

Los Horcones, Mexico

Why communal living  "The problem of far greater importance remains to be solved. Rather than build a world in which we shall all live well, we must stop building one in which it will be impossible to live at all.

Los Horcones, Mexico

Happiness and behavior 

"The experimental analysis of behavior has clearly shown that it is not the quantity of goods that count (as the laws of supply and demand suggest) but the contingent relation between goods and behavior. That is why, to the amazement of the American tourist, there are people in the world who are happier then we are, while possessing far less."

Los Horcones, Mexico "Our goal is to have every adult member of Walden Two regard all our children as his own, and to have every child think of every adult as his parent."

Los Horcones, Mexico "Our goal is to have every adult member of Walden Two regard all our children as his own, and to have every child think of every adult as his parent."

B.F. Skinner  Writer  Professor  Psychologist  Tinkerer  Behaviorist  Troublemaker Writer Tinkerer Professor

B.F. Skinner

Behaviorist Psychologist Troublemaker

Operant Conditioning “All Behavior is followed by a consequence, and the nature of that consequence modifies the organisms tendency to repeat the behavior in the future”

Skinner boxes

Skinner boxes

Skinner boxes

Skinner boxes=rat basketball

Skinner boxes

Skinner boxes

What is It?

 Everyday Random behavior ( Operant )  Reinforcement comes after behavior the particular  Operant conditioning forms an association between a behavior and a consequence.

What is it?

 Learning is based on a trial and error process whereby an organism remembers what behaviors elicited positive, or pleasurable, responses and which elicited negative ones. Learning Curve

Reinforcements are Key!

 A behavior followed by a reinforcing stimulus results in an increased probability of that behavior occurring in the future.

 A behavior no longer followed by a the reinforcing stimulus results in a decreased probability behavior occurring in the future.

of that

Reinforcement Schedules  Continuous  1 Push = 1 Reinforcer  Fixed Ratio  X Pushes = 1 Reinforcer  Fixed Interval  10 Minutes = 1 Reinforcer  Variable Schedule  X Pushes = X Reinforcer

Complex Behaviors  Shaping  Positive Reinforcement  Negative Reinforcement  Punishment  Extinction

Shaping  Aim is to reach a desired behavior  Each step towards desired goal is rewarded until desired behavior is memorized or internalized

Positive Reinforcers  Reinforcers - rewards given to illicit the desired behavior  To change a behavior: Give reinforcements when desired behavior is accomplished.

Negative Reinforcers  An existing Stimulus is taken away to change behavior.

Punishment  Unwanted behavior is controlled by removing privileges in order to stop the behavior

Extinction  Termination of a behavior by the consistent removal of the reinforcer

Behavior Modification  What is it?

 Straight forward therapy based on Skinner’s work  Extinguish undesirable behavior by removing reinforcer and replacing it with a desirable behavior by reinforcement.

A Useful tool  Useful with a variety of psychological problems  addictions, neuroses,shyness,autism, schizophrenia  Works particularly well with children (token economy)  Expanding into psychological areas with the rising cost of healthcare.

Skinner’s Use of Behavior Modification  Skinner Box  Project Pigeon  Baby Box

Behavior Modification Today  Based on the principles and procedures of the scientific method  Deals with clients current problems  Client expected to be active by engaging in specific action to deal with his/her problems.

Behavior Modification Today  Self-control  Tailored to fit the unique needs of each client

Current Behavior Modification  Relaxation Training  Systematic Desensitization  Exposure therapies  IN VIVO desensitization  Flooding

Criticisms of Behavior Modification  Changes behavior not feeling  Does not provide insight  Treats symptoms rather than causes  Involves control and manipulation

Conclusion  Let's go back to Skinner's childhood - and the mockup of his Pajama Hangar.

 View Skinner’s upbringing through his own Operant coniditioning.

Presentation URL: www.scs.unr.edu/~kgibson/work/skinner.ppt