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Conditioning & Learning
PSYCH 214Introduction to Conditioning and Learning, Fall 2013
Class Meetings: Mondays, 6:30-9:10PM, Bolton B-91
Final Examination:No final exam, but class does meet.
Instructor: Marshall Lev Dermer
Office Hours: MW, 2:00-2:50 & by appointmentOffice Location: Garland Hall 213
Office Telephone: 414-751-0213
E-Mail Address:
Web page:
Reading
Main text:
Miller, L.K. (2006). Principles of Everyday Behavior Analysis(4th ed.). Belmont,CA: Thomson Wadsworth. ISBN-0-534-59994-X (Available at The Neebo Bookstore on Downer Avenue.)
Supplementary text:
Skinner, B.F. (1953). Science and human behavior. New York: The Free Press. (You can download a PDF here.
The Context for this Course
Each year towards the end of May, the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) holds its annual convention. In attendance are researchers who work in the area called the experimental analysis of behavior. Their work, usually conducted at universities, provides the empirical and conceptual foundations for the work of applied behavior analytic researchers and service providers. At the convention the breadth of interests is very wide and includes: animal training, traumatic brain injury, depression, phobias, energy consumption, systems of instruction of various kinds, organizational behavior, safety, autism, and more.
It might be surprising that the interests of behavior analysts are so varied. Perhaps these varied interests result from the systematic way we have gone about understanding behavior as well as our approach bearing considerable fruit.
But what is behavior analysis? Well, if you interviewed folks at the convention I’m sure you would hear various answers. My approach to begin answering this question is to start with a definition of behavior.
Behavior is any action of an organism, mediated by its nervous system, that is controlled by other aspects of the physical world. By this definition if you can find manipulable physical events (operations) that control actions such as walking, problem solving, seeing, or dreaming then these actions are behaviors.
Behavior analysts (a) discover the variables that control behavior (controlling variables), (b) describe the relationships between these controlling variables and behavior, and (c)use (a) and (b) to predict,understand, and improve behavior.
As you will see behavior analysis is down to earth and very practical. If this course is successful you will begin to think and write as do behavior analystsas well as pragmatically and ethically address problems. Who knows, some of you may enroll in the other behavior analytic courses at UWM, earn advanced degrees, and show your stuff at the annual ABAI convention!
General Approach
For most weeks, we will read two chapters from Principles of Everyday Behavior Analysis(PEBA). You will read these chapters because each week, at the end of class, you will complete an 11-point examination with questions based on: the current readings and lecture as well asprevious readings and lectures. The questions will require filling in blanks or writing short answers.
Here is the usualclass procedure. At the beginning of class, I willdistribute last week's examination and answer questions about the examination. Next, I will ask if you have any questions about the evening's readings and address your questions. If you don't have questions, then I will talk about the readings or introduce other material relevant or related to the readings. We will break for aboutten-minute around 8 PM and then return for more lecture or discussion with the 30-minute examination administered around 8:40 PM.
The Reading Assignments from PEBAand the Helpful Flash Cards
If you carefully read all of a lesson from PEBAand respond to all of a lesson's "requests" then you will begin to talk and write like a behavior analyst. Also helpful is completing the three examinations at the end of each lesson.
Besides working withPEBA, flash cards can help you master the technical terms. These cards can be found at D2L. If you print them back-to-back on heavy paper then you can cut the paper to produce the cards.
Writing Assignment
You shall write a paper not exceeding 1000 words. The paper should be written as a magazine article. Your papers should, therefore, be interesting and may include a photograph or figure. Although some model papers exceed 1000 words, you can find model papershere (just scroll down to "Sample Articles").
Your paper should reflect some aspect of your personal life. I expect you to write, for example, about yourself, your relative, your boss, your co-worker, your significant other, or your pet. Although I expect you to write a magazine-like article, do not write about some abstract topic that might be covered in "popular" magazines such as depression, habit disorders, anorexia, etc. Check with me about your essay topic. Also, do not write about "self-" as in "self-control," "self-reinforcement," and "self-punishment" as these are complicated topics.
Please review the papers here. Some papers use the technical terms of behavior analysis as if the paper had been prepared for a new magazine called Behavior Analysis Today. You can write this way, but most papers use only a few or no technical terms. There is, however, one feature that all papers share: they neither contain mentalistic explanations nor suggest mentalism.
Mentalistic explanations attribute behavior to hypothetical entities or processes inside the organism for which there is no physical basis or if there is a physical basis that basis cannot be manipulated.I have boldfaced the behaviors and italicized the mentalistic entities or processes below. Examples of mentalistic explanation include: He gave her flowers because he isfalling in love. She smacked him because she was angry. She shook his hand because she is an extrovert. He left because he desiredto. and He worked hard because he was motivated. All of these sentences "explain" behavior by appealing to an hypothetical entity or processes inside the organism. These are mentalistic too: His giving her flower reflected his love for her. Her smacking him in the face was a demonstration of her anger. Her shaking his hand was a manifestation of her extroversion. His leaving reflected his desire. His working hard was an indicant of his motivation. Above, mentalism directs our attention towards various, hypothetical, internal "explanations," and so deters us from identifying manipulable environmental events which control the behaviors: giving, smacking, shaking, leaving, and working.I'll be talking about mentalism early in the semester, but of considerable value is my Some Questions Asked by Students of Behavior Analysis.
If you submit your draft via email on or before Monday, November 11 then I’ll provide feedback. Most students usually submit 3 drafts plus their final draft! I cannot promise reviewing drafts submitted later. Your paper is due the last day of class.
Your paper should (a) enhance your understanding of course material and (b) enhance your analytic and writing behaviors.
I consider writing a vital skill and its absence a disability. I will discuss writing October 7; if you can't wait to improve your writing style, there is much to learn from my "site in progress" here.
Policy Regarding Missed Examinations
During the semester it may be inconvenient for you to complete an examination. So, as an accommodation, when I calculate your semester grade for examinations, I’ll exclude your lowest two examination scores.
You can make up an examination for a substantial reason such as a religious holiday, court appearance, medical emergency, or death in the family. If you have such a reason then document it and request a make-up examination. Please note, that there is a limit of two such make-up examinations and they must be completed as soon as possible after the missed examination.
TentativeCalendar and Weekly Assignments
- September 9
Introduction to Course
Lesson 1: Introduction to Behavior Analysis
- September 16
Lesson 2: Definitions of Everyday Behaviors
Lesson 3: Methods of Observation of Everyday Behaviors
- September 23
Lesson 4: Reliability & Validity of Everyday Observations
Lesson 5: Experimental Designs of Studying Everyday Behavior
- September 30
Lesson 6: Visual Analysis of Behavioral Experiments
Rather than reading Lesson 6 from our textbook, please read the revised lesson that appears at D2L. In the revision, the rules for deciding whether a treatment caused behavior change appear on pages 11-12. Use these rules to decide whether the treatment caused behavior change for Figures 6-20 to 6-106 of the original lesson.
I understand the rules to be: Are the last three observations (LTOs)in the baseline and treatment conditions divided? Are the LTOs stable? If the observations are divided and stable then the differences are convincing. If a strong design (SD; one that rules out alternative explanations) was used then the treatment caused the difference.
But, suppose observations are divided and unstable. If neither the LTOs for the baseline nor treatment conditions are trending toward the LTOs for the other condition, then the behavior change is convincing. If a SD was used then the treatment caused the difference.
- October 7
Lesson 7: Review of Behavioral Methods
On Writing Gracefully (at D2L)
- October 14
Lesson 8: Reinforcement of Everyday Behaviors
Lesson 9: Extinction of Everyday Behaviors
- October 21
Lesson 10: Differential Reinforcement of Everyday Behaviors
Lesson 11: Shaping Everyday Behaviors
- October 28
Lesson 12: Reinforcer Effectiveness
Lesson 13: Ratio Schedules
- November 4
Lesson 14: Interval Schedules of Reinforcement
Lesson 15: Review of Reinforcement
- November 11 <E-mail drafts of papers for feedback.>
Lesson 16: Stimulus Discrimination
Lesson 17: Generalization Training of Everyday Behavior
- November 18
Lesson 18: Programming & Fading
Lesson 19: Imitation & Instructions
- November 25 (Nov 27-Dec 1 Thanksgiving Break)
Lesson 20: Conditioned Reinforcers & Everyday Situations
Lesson 21: Review of Stimulus Control
- December 2
To be Announced (TBA)
- December 9
TBA
- December 16: (Monday of Finals week,)
TBA
Grades
I convert grades on examinations and papers into grade point values (GPVs)according to the chart below. So if you scored 90% right on an examination that would be an "A-" or an "11." Similarly
GPV / 13+ / 12 / 11 / 10 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 / 0GRADE / A+ / A / A- / B+ / B / B- / C+ / C / C- / D+ / D / D- / F+ / F
% RIGHT / 100 / 95 / 90 / 85 / 80 / 75 / 70 / 65 / 60 / 55 / 50 / 45 / 40 / 35
if you earned a "C+" on a paper that would be a "7."
Your course grade is the letter grade that corresponds to these weighted GPVs:
.80 * GPV for Examinations + .20 * GPV for Paper.
for the sample values above the equation is:
.80 * 11 + .20 * 7 ==> 8.8 + 1.4 ==> 10.2 ==> B+.
Class Atmosphere and Concerns
From time-to-time, I make mistakes and either with or without correction from others I apologize. Your suggestions, of course, are appreciated and will be seriously considered. If you have a concern about this course then please alert me so that I can address it. If you wish to remain anonymous then e-mail your concern from an address from which you cannot be identified or send an unsigned, typed letter to me. If you would like to talk or correspond with someone besides me, Prof. Lima (mailto:) has volunteered to listen to your concerns and to share them with me in a general way, without identifying any student.
Office Hours
I keep my office hours so, unless there is an emergency, you can count on my being in my office. I can also schedule "special" appointments. Please feel free to meet and discuss the course or your progress.
Arrangements for Students with Disabilities
If you have a documented disability and need special accommodations to meet any of the requirements of this course, please contact me as soon as possible. I will need your VISA form, which you can obtain at the Student Accessibility Center (Mitchell 112, phone 414-229-6287,
Concerns
If you have a concern about this course then please bring it to my attention so that I can address it. If you wish to remain anonymous then e-mail your concern from an address from which you cannot be identified or send an unsigned, typed note to me. If you would like to talk or correspond with someone besides me, Prof. Lima (mailto: ) has volunteered to listen to your concerns and to share them with me in a general way, without identifying you.
Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct--cheating on examinations, plagiarism, fabricating research--is intolerable:
Preparation Time
Suggested Minimum Hours for Various Activities for Successfully Completing PSYCH214Activity / Hours/Week / Weeks / Total
for Semester
Class Meetings / 2.6 / 15 / 39
Read Text, Answer Questions, Master Flash Cards / 6.5 / 15 / 97.5
Course Paper / 7.0 / 1.0 / 7.0
Total Hours / 143.5
Average Hours Per Week / ~9.5