Reinforcement and Punishment in Our Daily Life free essay sample

Reinforcement is a term in operant conditioning and behaviour analysis for the delivery of a stimulus, (immediately or shortly) after a response, that results in an increase in the future rate or probability of that response. The response strength is assessed by measuring frequency, duration, latency, accuracy, and/or persistence of the response after reinforcement stops. Experimental behaviour analysts measured the rate of behaviours as a primary demonstration of learning and performance with non-humans.For example, rate is measured as the number of times a pigeon pecks a key in a 10 minute session. Reinforcement is the stimulus, event, or situation whose presentation is dependent upon a response. B. F. Skinner, the researcher who articulated the major theoretical constructs of reinforcement and behaviourism, defined reinforcement according to the change in response strength rather than to more subjective criteria, such as what is pleasurable or valuable to someone. Accordingly, activities, foods or items considered pleasant or enjoyable may not necessarily be reinforcing (because they produce no increase in the response preceding them). We will write a custom essay sample on Reinforcement and Punishment in Our Daily Life or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Stimuli, settings, and activities only fit the definition of reinforcement if the behaviour that immediately precedes the potential reinforcement increases in similar situations in the future. For example child who receives a cookie when he or she asks for one. If the frequency of cookie-requesting behaviour increases, the cookie can be seen as reinforcing cookie-requesting behaviour. If however, cookie-requesting behaviour does not increase, the cookie cannot be considered reinforcing.Reinforcement theory is one of the motivation theories; it states that reinforced behaviour will be repeated, and behaviour that is not reinforced is less likely to be repeated. The sole criterion that determines if an item, activity, or food is reinforcing is the change in probability of behaviour after administration of that potential reinforcement. Other theories may focus on additional factors such as whether the person expected the strategy to work at some point, but in the behavioural theory, reinforcement is descriptive of an increased probability of a response. Primary reinforcementA primary reinforcement, sometimes called an unconditioned reinforcement, is a stimulus that does not require pairing to function as reinforcement and most likely has obta ined this function through the evolution and its role in species survival. Examples of primary reinforcement include sleep, food, air, water, and sex. Other primary reinforcement, such as certain drugs, may mimic the effects of other primary reinforcement. While this primary reinforcement is fairly stable through life and across individuals, the reinforcing value of different primary reinforcement varies due to multiple factors (e. . , genetics, experience). Thus, one person may prefer one type of food while another abhors it. Or one person may eat lots of food while another eats very little. So even though food is a primary reinforcement for both individuals, the value of food as reinforcement differs between them. Secondary reinforcement A secondary reinforcement, sometimes called a conditioned reinforcement, is a stimulus or situation that has acquired its function as reinforcement after pairing with a stimulus that functions as reinforcement.This stimulus may be a primary reinforcement or another conditioned reinforcement (such as money). An example of a secondary reinforcement would be the sound from a clicker, as used in clicker training. The sound of the clicker has been associated with praise or treats, and subsequently, the sound of the clicker may function as reinforcement. As with primary reinforces, an organism can experience satiation and deprivation with secondary reinforces. 3. 1 Increase of desire Positive reinforcement A positive reinforcement may be used as part of a behaviour intervention plan (BIP). Unlike negative reinforcement, positive reinforcement are strategies used to help increase targeted behaviours in students who are experiencing academic or behavioural problems at home and school. How is Positive Reinforcement Used? Positive reinforcement helps students learn behaviours necessary to be successful academically and socially. For example, a students behaviour goal may be to increase the amount of time he stays on-task in class. Positive reinforcement would be used as a reward for improving over a period of time.Positive reinforcement includes any actions, consequences, or rewards that are provided to a student and cause an increase in desired behaviour. They may include rewards and privileges that students like and enjoy. For example, a student may earn physical rewards such as school supplies, healthy snacks, or choice of free-time activities. When choosing a positive reinforcement, it is important for the IEP team to know the child well. If possible, it can be helpful to allow the child to help choose the type of positive reinforcement he would like to earn.Examples: Positive reinforcement increase a students targeted behaviours. Positive reinforcement is similar to rewards, but they are also intended to increase behaviours over time. They are not just a one-time reward for good behaviour. 3. 2 Drawbacks of Positive Reinforcement Positive reinforcement may seem to be an ideal technique to increase certain positive behaviours. Managers may be able to motivated employees using positive reinforcement techniques. However, there can be some drawbacks. First, the use of positive reinforcement techniques may result in people becoming more extrinsically motivated.Extrinsic motivation may undermine creativity. In Amabiles (1985) experiment, people were asked to write two poems. Before writing the second poem, some people were given a questionnaire in which they were asked to rank the importance of some reasons for writing. In one condition, these reflected extrinsic motivation. In another condition, they reflected intrinsic motivation. In the control condition, people did not receive a questionnaire with reasons for writing. The poems in the extrinsic-orientation condition were judged to be less creative, on the average, than the poems in the control condition.Second, the ideal employee may be one who is intrinsically motivated and does not require constant supervision. Intrinsically motivated employees may be less likely to be late. They also may be more likely to excel at their jobs. Thus, positive reinforcement techniques may not lead to ideal employees in a company. 3. 3 Effect of Positive reinforcement for children Positive Reinforcement Can Improve Your Childs Behaviour: Using positive reinforcement is an easy way to nix behaviour problems. You can use positive reinforcement can help you encourage your child to do everyday tasks you need her to perform.Turning off an annoying song when a child asks their parent is an example of negative reinforcement (if this results in an increase in asking behaviour of the child in the future). Another example is if a mouse presses a button to avoid shock. Do not confuse this concept with punishment. There are two variations of negative reinforcement: oAvoidance conditioning occurs when behaviour prevents an aversive stimulus from starting or being applied. oEscape conditioning occurs when behaviour removes an aversive stimulus that has already started. A lot of students are confused about negative reinforcement.Whats the difference between that and punishment? Perhaps some examples of negative reinforcement would be helpful (remember, its reinforcement so the behavior increases, and because its negative, the reinforcement is removed after the response). Negative Reinforcement strengthens behaviour because a negative condition is stopped or avoided as a consequence of the behaviour. Punishment, on the other hand, weakens behaviour because a negative condition is introduced or experienced as a consequence of the behaviour. Here are two examples of Negative Reinforcement: 1.A rat is placed in a cage and immediately receives a mild electrical shock on its feet. The shock is a negative condition for the rat. The rat presses a bar and the shock stops. The rat receives another shock, presses the bar again, and again the shock stops. The rats behaviour of pressing the bar is strengthened by the consequence of the stopping of the shock. 2. Driving in heavy traffic is a negative condition for most of us. You leave home earlier than usual one morning, and dont run into heavy traffic. You leave home earlier again the next morning and again you avoid heavy traffic.

Do You Know What a Developmental Psychology Essay Sample Is?

Do You Know What a Developmental Psychology Essay Sample Is?If you're reading this, then chances are you're currently a student in one of the developmental psychology programs at a university or college. You've probably finished your coursework and all of your assignments by now and are looking for a way to contribute to the development of your fellow students. Although a lot of students work on essays as a means of preparing for their exams, others take it a step further and take a developmental psychology essay sample, either online or at a bookstore. Either way, your homework is just beginning.What exactly is developmental psychology? Well, according to Wikipedia, developmental psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on the genetic, emotional, and neurological factors that shape a person's personality and behavior. This doesn't mean that you have to be gifted in biology or a Ph.D. in psychology to be considered a developmental psychologist. As mentioned, developmental ps ychology is about the various factors that bring about behavior.So what can you expect to learn in a developmental psychology class? Well, a great way to think about developmental psychology as a whole is in terms of an all-encompassing marketing plan. The theory here is that a person's psychological makeup is like an iceberg, with the various areas of their personality traits being the different parts of the iceberg. In other words, if you can understand the different personality traits that each of the different facets of your personality display, then you can begin to understand how they can influence each other and their interaction.Of course, when you look at a developmental psychology essay sample, you're really looking at a way to put all of the pieces together and get a grasp on all of the different personality traits. For example, there's the introvert personality trait, which you may not realize is one of the key components to building that good rapport with a group of peo ple. Many individuals possess this trait, but when the circumstances are right, they can become a strong force in the rest of their interactions. This is why the traits like these are so important in the overall personality of a person.Another trait, one that many of us may have only come to realize, is the idea of the extroverted person. People with this trait can often times be seen out and about in their spandex, and they enjoy showing off their knowledge of the latest pop culture trends and music. These are just a few of the various traits that you'll be able to pick up from a developmental psychology essay sample.Now, there's no denying that you're looking for something in particular that you can use to help you with the writing of your developmental psychology essay. There are some things that you can do that will help you narrow down which traits you want to focus on when you're doing your research.First, ask yourself what personality trait that you possess, if any, that you' d like to include in your essay. While most people are able to incorporate all of the different aspects of their personality into their essay, there's no way that you can go into depth with all of the different traits that you have, unless you've already figured out what each of them is. Be sure to take note of all of the personality traits that you possess, not only in the essay you write but also in other areas of your life as well.Next, simply get to know the other people you've interacted with that have the same personality traits that you do. Once you've got a good idea of the personality traits that they carry, look at their psychological traits. This is where you can actually begin to really learn about the various aspects of a person's personality and develop your own personality traits around it.