Rewards (from slides) Flashcards
What is a reinforcer?
Any consequence that strengthens (increases the frequency of) a behavior
What is a punishment?
Any consequence that weakens (decreases the frequency of) a behavior
What are some recommendations for reinforcement that come from behaviorism?
- Reinforce immediately following the desired behavior
- Use the least tangible or elaborate reinforcer that will work
- Use PreMack principle or “Grandma’s Rule” - eat your vegetables so that you may go play, where a less frequent/strong behavior (eating vegetables) is reinforced with a more frequent/strong behavior (playing)
- Make the reinforcement process informational
- Try reinforcement before punishment if possible
- Use reinforcement to shape behavior
What are the steps in the process of shaping?
- First, reinforce any behavior that in some way resembles the target behavior
- Then reinforce a response that more closely approximates the target behavior (no longer reinforcing the previously reinforced response)
- Then reinforce a response that resembles the target behavior even more closely
- Continue reinforcing closer and closer approximations to the target behavior
- Finally, reinforce only the target behavior
What is a fixed interval reinforcement?
A reinforcement delivered after a set period of time, e.g. a weekly quiz, praising a hyperactive child every 15 minutes for appropriate classroom behavior
Response rate increases as time for reinforcement approaches, then drops off after reinforcement
What is a variable interval reinforcement?
Reinforcement delivered after varying lengths of time. Examples include pop quizzes or a pigeon being reinforced on a random time basis for pecking at a panel that lights up.
Slow, steady rate of responding; very little pause after reinforcement
What is fixed ratio reinforcement?
Reinforcement after a set number of responses, e.g. paying workers $50 for every car they paint, or giving a pizza coupon for every third book read
Rapid response rate; pause after reinforcement
What is variable ratio reinforcement?
Reinforcement after varying number of responses, e.g. playing slot machines or a dog occasionally getting a bone after begging.
Very high response rate; little pause after reinforcement.
Deci (1971)
Gave college students problems to solve, with one group receiving money and one group not. Those not given money were found to engage in problems solving even when not required to
Lepper (1973)
Had preschoolers draw with markers, a task the children were initially interested in doing into he classroom. Half were offered a recognition ribbon. Kids offered a reward show a lack of interest in drawing with markers during the following weeks of class.
Cameron & Pierce (1994)
Conducted a meta-analysis and found that rewards only had a negative effect on intrinsic motivation when rewards were tangible and promised without regard to performance
Kohn’s key issues
- Rewards must be judged on whether they lead to lasting change after reward has ceased
- Rewards usually improve performance on extremely simple tasks, and even then they improve only quantitative performance
- Rewards will most likely fail on interesting or creative tasks
- Rewards are used to control or manipulate people
- Rewards discourage risk taking
What do we know about the effect of rewards?
- Praise, if used correctly, can increase intrinsic motivation by being informational
- Give unexpected rewards
- Avoid tangible rewards for something the student already finds interesting
- Rewards may decrease intrinsic motivation when given for simply engaging in an activity. Rewards should be contingent upon meeting a standard or advanced level of performance
- When initial interest in a task is low, rewards may increase academic engagement
- Rewards may squelch risk-taking if used improperly
- Decreases in intrinsic motivation are high when rewards are highly salient
