PSYC 2330 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Reinforcement, Motivation, Operant Conditioning
Document Summary
Application of principles of reinforcement to practical problems of human behaviour. (positively) reinforce studying behaviour (praise good studying habits rather than repremanding) Behavioural modifcation useful for children, people with cognitive impairment, people who just don"t care (where explanations don"t work). Sports: you can"t explain how to do it. Immediate & frequent feedback is important; delay in response is important in operant conditioning (very short or immediate feedback for optimal learning). Points or tokens are established as secondary reinforcers through pairings with a variety of potent reinforcers. The advantages: points or tokens are easy to dispense & can be given immediately, they can be used as generalized reinforcers. Manage the consequences of behaviour using points/tokens that are tangeable to the subject. Substance use: called vouchers (can exchange for something you want) receive vouchers when you test negative in drug test. People receiving vouchers lessened drug-use more than other forms of treatment.
