Topics in the News?
What I would like you to do is to continue applying what we are learning in class to real world matters. Some might ask, "What good is learning psychology if we can't apply it to real world matters?" So that is what we are going to do with this week's topical blog assignment.
What I would like you to do is to either go to NPR (http://www.npr.org/ ), the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/ ) there are some good news source links at the bottom of the following page (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ listed in their news sources) and read, watch, or listen to something that is interesting to you and relates to punishment.
For your news I would like you to briefly describe/summarize your piece. 1) Tell us what behavior (target behavior) you are using that illustrates the reinforced or punished behavior (be careful as there are often many behaviors in a video and you need to isolate the behavior of interest). 2) Next tell us what the consequence of the behavior is. 3) Then tell us how, that consequence either will increase or decrease the frequency of the behavior. 4) Tell us if the consequence involves the addition of something or if it involves the removal of something. 5) Finally tell us to the antecedent is.
Please then list the ABC's of the behavior
A=
B=
C=
Now state if this is an example of positive reinforcement, positive punishment, negative reinforcement, negative punishment. Tell us if it involves extinction, establishing operations, use as many terms from the chapters we have already covered as you can.
Now find another behavior in the same news piece and repeat the steps (i.e. do it again).
For originality sake, make sure the news pieces you are not using the same pieces of news the other students before you just used.
When you are done, copy and paste the URL at the bottom so we can go and see the sources you used.
Once you are done with your post make list of the terms and terminology you used in your post.
Let me know if you have any questions.
--Dr. M