Staats Chapter 34: Reinforcement of Cooperation in Children

Question 1

Main Question

Answer 1

Can cooperation between children be developed, maintained, and eliminated solely by the presentation or non-presentation of a single reinforcing stimulus, available to each member of the cooperative team, following each cooperative response?

Question stems from Skinner’s belief that cooperation can be achieved and eliminated solely on reinforcing behavior
Attempting to test this belief

Question 2

Method

Answer 2

Ten teams of two children

Each positioned in front of an apparatus that required cooperation in order to achieve a reward

A table with a divider in the center

The children had to place a pen-like structure into corresponding holes on both sides of the wall within a set time-limit

If done, a single jelly bean was distributed

Children were only told they were playing a game that they had to place the pens in the holes

At first, the behavior was rewarded continuously for 15 minutes

Then, the behavior was not reinforced for 15 minutes

Finally, the behavior was once again reinforced

Question 3

The Results

Answer 3

All teams learned to cooperate within 10 minutes, despite lack of instruction

8 teams immediately started dividing the reward,

The other two, after some protest by one of the children, began to divide their reward as well

During the second stage, extinction, evidence of a gradual decline in responding from the children

Orderly extinction

Removal of reinforcing behavior lead to decreased cooperation

Quick to relearn behavior during final trial

Much quicker response than initial trial

Question 4

Conclusion

Answer 4

Operant conditioning techniques can be used to develop, maintain, and eliminate cooperation among children without the use of specific instruction

Even in spite of the fact that only one reward was provided for cooperation