Name That Behavior Discussion

Kind of sounds like a game show doesn’t it? With the exam coming up I wanted to make sure you understood the distinctions between classical conditioning and operant conditioning as well as how both of them work. 

Having both read the section on classical conditioning and watched the video on Ivan Pavlov you should all have some understanding of how the process was discovered, how it works and recognize examples of it. The repeated pairing of a conditioned stimulus prior to the presentation of an unconditioned stimulus eventually brings about the development of a conditioned response to the conditioned stimulus. 

And in the readings on Instrumental/Operant behavior I discuss the four possibilities that can occur as a consequence of behavior and their effects on behavior. Those were positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative punishment. Anything that increases the probability of behavior is said to be a form of reinforcement. Anything that decreases the probability of behavior is said to be a form of punishment. Positive and negative refer to whether something was added or removed to bring about the effect on behavior. Positive is not ‘good’ nor is negative ‘bad’ in this context. 

What

For this discussion I’d like you each to provide an example of either classical or operant conditioning from your own experience. One or the other. You do not need to provide an example of each. Then detail the factors controlling the behavior. Remember that Pavlov stumbled onto the idea of classical conditioning after observing that his dogs started to salivate to things other than the presentation of food. It happens naturally all the time given the right conditions. And on the other hand, we also can recognize that much of what we do is ultimately aimed at either gaining some type of reward or avoiding punishment.

Are there times when you automatically respond to something without really thinking about it or observed someone else do so? This could even include an automatic response from a pet, such as one that comes running into the kitchen upon hearing their food bowl being filled. Or can you think of a real world example of an operant behavior and the consequences generated by that behavior. For instance, we speed on the freeway because we get where we’re going faster. 

Here’s the catch. I want an original example. That means once someone posts a particular example it’s done. You can’t repeat an example that’s already been given. So, the more time that passes the harder this is going to get. 

How

Be very specific in your example. For an example of classical conditioning note the conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response. Also, discuss how you believe this conditioned response was established. What associations were formed and how did that occur? This would entail indicating the original unconditioned stimulus and response and how a connection was formed between the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus. 

For an example of operant conditioning describe the behavior and its consequence(s). Then tell me whether you think it is an example of positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment or negative punishment. Keep in mind that this may differ from one perspective to another. A father receives negative reinforcement for picking up a crying child because the crying stops. But the child receives positive reinforcement for crying because he gets that attention. 

After providing your example, return to the discussion board later and reply to one of your peers by assessing their example. Give your opinion on whether the example truly is one of classical or operant conditioning. If you don’t think it is, provide your alternate explanation. And then assess whether you think your classmate is correct in their analysis of how the response was established and maintained. 

When

I’d like you all to submit your examples by Thursday and respond to one of your peers by Sunday (11:59pm).  

Assessment

Grading will be based on quality of content. Did you correctly identify an example of either classical or operant conditioning? 

For an instance of classical conditioning did you identify the unconditioned stimulus and response as well as the conditioned stimulus and response as well as discuss how association was established? 

For an instance of operant conditioning does your example depict an instance of the behavioral consequence that you selected? 

In your responses to other students do you accurately cite principles of classical or operant conditioning when assessing their examples? 

In the Presentation of Action Research discussion in this week, you will post a PowerPoint presentation of your action research results. This is a presentation that you would potentially deliver to stakeholders, but in this course your peers are considered stakeholders instead. In Week 9 you will be submitting a self-review of your presentation, as well as a peer review of one of your classmate’s presentations. You should have begun work on your presentation in Week 7.

Record your presentation using Kaltura; refer to the instructions in Using Kaltura on Campus for more information. You will also need to include a transcript of your presentation when you post it to the discussion. Your presentation should be 7–10 minutes.

Your PowerPoint should include the same components as your action research report. They include:

1. Cover: One slide that includes the name and number of the course, name of project, submission date, name of learner, and contact information.
2. Introduction: One slide that provides a brief introduction to the study, describes the study setting, and explains why the setting was chosen for this study. This is the “elevator” speech of the study and captures an overview in one small paragraph.
3. Scenario: One slide that details the problem that was studied, describes the purpose of the completed study, and explains who might benefit from the findings and why. This includes the key question(s) that were asked
4. Analysis of the Situation: A section of two to three slides that describes what you have discovered about the topic to inform the study design. What key concepts and studies are relevant to the study?
   1. Complete a review of at least three related peer-reviewed research articles on the topic studied.
   2. Identify what has been studied on the topic and what has not been studied or studied very little. In addition, identify areas where findings are not in agreement on the topic you studied. Identify the leading theory you found.
5. Diversity: One slide that directly addresses embedded diversity issues within the study topic and how this research could be used to enhance learning for students of all cultural backgrounds and learning needs.
6. Implementation and Design: A section of three to four slides that describes how data were collected, from baseline data to post-test data.
7. Baseline Data: Provide a QUESTION of baseline data or information you have gathered and reviewed to inform the development of the study.
   1. Describe what instruments were used to collect data and how they were shown to be valid and reliable.
   2. Provide information or baseline data that you gathered through interviewing or surveying individuals, archival data collected on students or others (for example, tests or grades), observations you made related to the problem, and so on.
   3. Describe the population and sample from whom the data were collected, and provide a rationale for targeting the population and selecting the sample.
   4. Describe how data were physically collected using a step-by-step approach (a blueprint of what you did).
   5. Include rationale for what technology was integrated to enhance the research; this could have been via the application and/or the assessment and potential outcomes.
8. Ethics: One slide that names the primary stakeholders involved in gaining access to the site and the ethical considerations that were needed. Address any issues that arose in terms of ethics.
9. Data Analysis: A section of one to two slides that describes how data were analyzed and processed to generate findings in order to inform decision making and practice.
   1. How are data being analyzed and interpreted? Am I staying true to the original design plan?
   2. How can findings be interpreted? Would a different action have had better results? What was unexpected?
   3. What can I conclude from the information/data analysis? Are my conclusions based solely on the evidence?
10. Reflecting Stage: A section of one to three slides that describes the proposed actions of the reflecting stage of the study, such as the possible implications of the findings on future practice and decision making, how the findings might be used or applied in the respective setting, how results will be shared and communicated, and a reflection on possible factors and other variables that may affect the findings.
    1. What can be concluded about what needs to happen next?
    2. What are the implications for the next steps in the cycle?
    3. How does the next action reflect previous learning?
11. Summary: One slide that sums up the study and addresses the questions: How do I know if the changes resulted in improvement? and How do these changes impact instruction?