Learning Principles

Module 4

Check your work

• 3a) S^{d ----------} R -----------------------S^reinf

  ^{tardy bell ------- student's talking ------ teacher nagging}

• • : How can the teacher nagging be a reinforcer? One thing to consider may be the students' feelings when they engage in this behavior. If they are disobeying the teacher, there may be a sense of empowerment or rebellion that they enjoy. The state may help us understand the reason that the teacher's behavior is reinforcing, but is really unnecessary. All that matters is the recognition that what the teacher is doing is increasing the undesirable behavior.

  

  3b) S^{d ----------} R -----------------------S^reinf

  ^{math problems ------- student's talking ------ teacher nagging}

  • ^{: As in the problem above, the students are engaging in a particular behavior that receives a consistent response from the environment- the students talk and the teacher nags. From a behavioral perspective, we know that the students consistent behavior only exists because of some environmental reinforcer. As the scenario is presented, the only consistent behavior we have to consider is the teacher's response. Therefore, it appears, the teacher is again unknowingly reinforcing the student behavior.}

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