Learning Chapter 2

8/14/2019 Learning Chapter 2

1/36

Chapter 2: The Study of Learning and

Behavior


2/36

Recall that Skinner said thatBehaviorism is not the science ofhuman behavior; it is the philosophy of

that science.

So what is the science?

Behavior Analysis.


3/36

Behavior Analysis

Two Branches Experimental Analysis of Behavior

Focus on discovering basic principles of behavior

Research done in a laboratory environment with

both humans and nonhumans Applied Behavior Analysis

Focus on discovering and clarifying relationsbetween socially significant behavior and its

controlling environmental variables Research done in real world environments with

humans


4/36

Behavioral Repertoire

We want to study behavior. Q: How many behaviors are there? What

types of behavior are there?

A: It depends on the species and the

individual. Pigs dont fly.

Berry doesnt dance.

We must discover the behaviors thatare possible or likely for a given speciesor individual.

Behavioral Repertoire: a catalogue ofbehaviors that are characteristic of a


5/36

Behavioral Repertoire

Alien Example

Are the behaviors we catalogued allthat Fuzz can do?

We dont know. Behavior is contextual.We have only observed Fuzz in one

context.


6/36

Operational DefinitionsTo study specific behaviors (and their

changes), we must define thebehaviors.

In behavior analysis (and science in

general), we define variables in termsof how they are measuredi.e., by theoperations that are used to measure a

behavior. E.g.: When has a person learned to hit a

golf ball? Ball is off the tee?

Does a 30 yard worm burner count?


7/36

Some operational definitions of learningfound in the literature..


8/36

Errors: number errors made on a task. Decline in errors indicates learning.

e.g., typing


9/36

Topography: the shape of a behavior. When the shape of a behavior resembles

the shape of a model or goal, learning has occurred.

(typing? Maybe compare documents with a test document)


10/36

Intensity: the strength of a behavior. Sometimes the goal in to increase intensity,

sometimes to decrease intensity (e.g., learning to kiss).

(typing? Maybe lighter touch is a goal)


11/36

Speed: the time it takes to perform a task or reach a goal.

(Typing? Perhaps the time it takes to comple a document without errors)


12/36

Rates of Behavior [the importance ofper (\)] Simple frequencies or counts are often

less informative than rates (X per Y, orX\Y) How many parking tickets have you had?

5

5 in 10 years

5 this week

I only misspelled 3 words on my typing test. Howmany words did you type? Uh, 6.

Rate is a frequency standardized (often bytime) Miles per hour

Responses per minute Errors per page


13/36

Rates


14/36

Cumulative Recorder: Measures rate of target behaviors (e.g., bar presses)

over time. The slope of the curve indicates the rate. Greater steepness, greater

Rate.


15/36

Research Designs in Learning Non-Experimental Research

aka Descriptive or Correlational

Researcher does not manipulate any variables,simply records behaviors and experiences to seeif they are related (measure study habits and

gradessee if they are related). Cant infer causality with much certainty (e.g.,

Hans Eysenck on smoking and cancer; stress-prone personality).

Experimental Research Researcher manipulates an environmental

variable.

Measures effect of the manipulation on

behavior.


16/36

Experimental Research:Terminology

Independent Variable The variable that the researcher

manipulates.

The hypothesized cause of behavior change

Dependent Variable The outcome variable (behavior) is

expected to change as a result of themanipulation.

IV DV


17/36

Between- vs. Within-Subjects ExperimentalDesigns

Between Subjects Experiments Involves at least two groups of subjects. Subjects randomly assigned to groups to make

them equal on a variety of extraneous variables.

One group (Experimental Group) gets exposed to

a manipulated variable (e.g., new teachingmethod; rewards for correct responses; electricshock for wrong responses).

The other group (Control Group) is not exposed to

the manipulation. Compare the groups on the DV. Did

exposure to the manipulation lead todifferences between the groups?


18/36

Between-SubjectsExperiments

Experimental Group*

ControlGroup*

IVManipulated

* Best if group membership determined by a random process

DV

DV


19/36

Between-SubjectsExperiments

Experimental Group*

ControlGroup*(Study as

Usual)

IVNew Study Method

* Best if group membership determined by a random process

DV(Exam Scores)

DV(Exam Scores)

Compare the average exam scores of the experimental vs. control groups


20/36

Characteristics of Between-Subjects Designs Data in each group are pooled or

averaged; you are comparing averagechange between the two groups.

Individual variations around the

average treated as noise. Researcherloses touch with individuals.

Large samples and complex statistics

are often needed to detect an effect ofthe manipulation.


21/36

Within-Subjects Designs

No separate groups of subjects: eachsubject will serve as their own control.

Each subject is assessed before themanipulation (baseline measures), then the

IV is applied, and each subject is measureagain.

Determine whether there was change inbehavior from baseline to the next

measurement period. Within-subjects designs can involve large groups

(but fewer are needed on statistical grounds).

Data can be averaged and tested statistically.

But within-Ss designs can also be applied toindividuals.


22/36

Within-Subjects Experiments

IVManipulated

DV

Before

All Subjects(maybejust 1) DV

After

All subjects measure on DV before manipulation, then again after manipulation.

Can use large groups and average data, but fewer subjects needed.


23/36

Behavior Analytic ResearchCulture Behavior analysts are very fond of

within-subjects research designs Often present data for only a few subjects

(sometimes only 1 subject). Seldom average data across subjects.

Graphical displays preferred.

They dislike complex statistical analyses,preferring graphical data displays.

In these preferences they are imitatingSkinner.


24/36

Skinner on methods:

Young psychologists should learn how to work with single organismsrather than with large groups

Most of the experiments described in The Behavior of Organism were

done with groups of four rats. A fairy common reaction was that suchgroups were too small. Keller, in defense of the book, countered with thecharge that groups of four were too big.

For more than a generation . . .our graduate schools . . . Have taughtstatistics in lieu of scientific method.

What statisticians call experimental design . . . Usually generates a muchmore intimate acquaintance with a calculating machine than with abehaving organism.


25/36

JOURNAL OF APPLIEDBEHAVIOR ANALYSIS2008, 41, 131135NUMBER 1 (SPRING2008)

TRAINING TOINCREASE SAFE TRAYCARRYING AMONG

COCKTAIL SERVERS

MEGAN D. SCHERRERAND DAVID A. WILDER

FLORIDA INSTITUTE OFTECHNOLOGY


26/36

Simple AB design Baseline Treatment

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Sessions (time)

Minutesspentona

ssignments

B

Why several baseline and treatment period measures?To look for trends, not just levels. [e.g., on board)


27/36

Problem with AB Design

Something other than the experimentalmanipulation might have caused thechange.

Confoundan extraneous variable(something other than themanipulation) that actually causes the

DV to change. Whole Language vs. Phonetic (e.g. from

book, p.43)


28/36

ABA Reversal DesignBaseline Treatment Baseline

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Sessions (time)

Minutesspentonassignments

B

Withdraw Intervention


29/36

ABAB Reversal Design

Baseline Treatment Baseline Treatment

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33

Sessions (time)

Minutesspentonass

ignments


30/36

Problems with ReversalDesignsABA, ABAB, etc. Not useful if the learning is irreversible

(i.e., doesnt go back to baseline aftermanipulation stopped)

Ethical issues in withdrawingmanipulation e.g., if the DV is head banging in a child,

and the manipulation decreases head-banging, is it ethical to remove themanipulation?


31/36

Multiple Baseline Designs

Conduct more than oneset of trials.

Vary the duration of baseline

periods.

Aim is to show that thelearning occurs after the

baseline period, regardless

of duration of the baseline

period.

Shows that your manipulationIs in control of the bahavior.


32/36

Multiple baseline design

3 types Across participants

Same settings and behavior, but differentparticipants

Across behaviors Same participant and setting, but different

behaviors (or the same behavior measured indifferent ways)

Across settings Same participants and behavior, but different

settings


33/36

Across

participants

e.g. timereading

Sessions

Bo

b

Caro

l

Joe

Minuteso

nTask

Homeroom

Homeroom

Homeroom


34/36

Across

behaviors

e.g.

Time reading

Time sitting

Time being quiet

Sessions

Bob

Min.on

Task

Min.w/NoTa

lkouts

Min.In

Seat

Homeroom

Homeroom

Homeroom


35/36

AcrossSettings

e.g., time

reading indifferentclasses M

inutes

onTask

Bob

Bob

Bob

Homeroom

Math

Reading

Sessions


36/36

JOURNAL OF APPLIEDBEHAVIOR ANALYSIS2008, 41, 131135NUMBER 1 (SPRING2008)

TRAINING TOINCREASE SAFE TRAYCARRYING AMONG

COCKTAIL SERVERS

MEGAN D. SCHERRERAND DAVID A. WILDER

FLORIDA INSTITUTE OFTECHNOLOGY

Across

individualsmultiplebaselinedesign

Date post:	30-May-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	csamples
View:	222 times
Download:	0 times

Learning Chapter 2

Documents