Conditioning in Schools
Skinner’s ideas have also been influential in the school system, particularly surrounding the teaching of small children. The methods of time out or even given a sticker on a paper all stem from Skinners Theory. Although he himself never wrote a model of school discipline others have taken his ideas and filtered them into a form of controlling the behaviour of students. It follows these key ideas:
1. Behaviour is created by its consequences, by what happens to a person immediately afterward.
2. The use of positive reinforcement in a systematic like way can mould a student’s behaviour to desired results
3. Behaviour becomes weaker if not preceded by reinforcement.
4. Behaviour is also weakened by punishment.
5. For best results, constant reinforcement should be applied in the early stages of learning
6. Only occasional, alternating reinforcement is required to maintain learning once it has reached desired results
Behaviour modification is applied in these two main ways:
1. The teacher views the student perform a desired act; the teacher rewards the student; the student is more likely to repeat the act.
2. The teacher observes the student perform an undesired act; the teacher either ignores the act or punishes the student, then praises a student who is behaving correctly; the disobedient student tends to be less likely than before to repeat the act.
Skinner’s model of reinforcement is broken down into four behaviour modification classes for the school setting. They include: social, graphic, activity and tangible.
Social Reinforcers:
Social reinforcers consist of words, signals, and facial expressions. Many students work diligently just to get a smile, pat, or a kind word from the teacher. Some examples are:
Negative Reinforcers to defer undesirable behaviour would be things such as:
2. Graphic Reinforcers.
Graphic reinforcers include marks of various kinds such as number grades, check marks, happy faces, and special symbols. Teachers may use stamps or stickers on a students work who they feel was done exceptionally well. All of these positive reinforcements condition the students to continue the work ethic for the recognition from the teacher.
3. Activity Reinforcers.
Activity reinforcers include those activities that students prefer in school. Any activity can be used as a reinforcer if students prefer it to another. Examples of activities that usually reinforce academic learning are:
For younger students:
For middle-aged students:
For older students:
Negative Reinforcers connected to the Activity section would be the stripping of any of the privileges and opportunities listed at the teachers discretion of how undesirable the behaviour.
4. Tangible Reinforcers.
Tangible reinforcers are actual objects that students can earn as rewards for desired behaviour and be more effective in use some than other types of reinforcers. It is mostly seen in younger students at the primary level but is intermit throughout all grades in the form of “prizes”, which could include things such as pens, candy, stickers, class pet for a weekend, chocolate, sundae party etc.
Negative Reinforcers of the Tangible sector could include: extra homework, detention, a letter home etc.
It is key to note that this model as a whole is very flexible and can easily be modified for any age group of students.
1. Behaviour is created by its consequences, by what happens to a person immediately afterward.
2. The use of positive reinforcement in a systematic like way can mould a student’s behaviour to desired results
3. Behaviour becomes weaker if not preceded by reinforcement.
4. Behaviour is also weakened by punishment.
5. For best results, constant reinforcement should be applied in the early stages of learning
6. Only occasional, alternating reinforcement is required to maintain learning once it has reached desired results
Behaviour modification is applied in these two main ways:
1. The teacher views the student perform a desired act; the teacher rewards the student; the student is more likely to repeat the act.
2. The teacher observes the student perform an undesired act; the teacher either ignores the act or punishes the student, then praises a student who is behaving correctly; the disobedient student tends to be less likely than before to repeat the act.
Skinner’s model of reinforcement is broken down into four behaviour modification classes for the school setting. They include: social, graphic, activity and tangible.
Social Reinforcers:
Social reinforcers consist of words, signals, and facial expressions. Many students work diligently just to get a smile, pat, or a kind word from the teacher. Some examples are:
- Verbal: OK. Wow! Excellent, Awesome Job, Please share that, Exactly Right etc.
- Nonverbal: Smiles, eye contact, nods, thumbs up, pats on the back, high fives etc.
Negative Reinforcers to defer undesirable behaviour would be things such as:
- Verbal: “please no talking when I’m talking” raising voice, class meetings, signalling out (using students name) etc.
- Nonverbal: ignoring the student’s behaviour, shaking head no, thumbs down, time out, frowning etc.
2. Graphic Reinforcers.
Graphic reinforcers include marks of various kinds such as number grades, check marks, happy faces, and special symbols. Teachers may use stamps or stickers on a students work who they feel was done exceptionally well. All of these positive reinforcements condition the students to continue the work ethic for the recognition from the teacher.
3. Activity Reinforcers.
Activity reinforcers include those activities that students prefer in school. Any activity can be used as a reinforcer if students prefer it to another. Examples of activities that usually reinforce academic learning are:
For younger students:
- Reading during story time, sitting in the teacher’s chair, being a discussion leader, caring for a class pet etc.
For middle-aged students:
- A games day, free period, facilitating activity, extra recess time, going to an assembly, student of the month etc.
For older students:
- Group projects, after school clubs, extra credit, bumping of average etc.
Negative Reinforcers connected to the Activity section would be the stripping of any of the privileges and opportunities listed at the teachers discretion of how undesirable the behaviour.
4. Tangible Reinforcers.
Tangible reinforcers are actual objects that students can earn as rewards for desired behaviour and be more effective in use some than other types of reinforcers. It is mostly seen in younger students at the primary level but is intermit throughout all grades in the form of “prizes”, which could include things such as pens, candy, stickers, class pet for a weekend, chocolate, sundae party etc.
Negative Reinforcers of the Tangible sector could include: extra homework, detention, a letter home etc.
It is key to note that this model as a whole is very flexible and can easily be modified for any age group of students.