Application Assignment #4

"Return to PRT Island"

You will return to the Positive Reinforcement Tutorial website for the last assignment.

The PRT has quirky puzzles because many of the examples are taken from the published behavior analysis literature. Your last assignment is a scavenger hunt. We have covered two areas in the last section, Reinforcement Schedules and Premack's approach to the Law of Effect. Your scavenger hunt will cover both.

Reinforcement schedules: Find two puzzles that involve schedules in which not every response is reinforced. Identify the schedule in operation and explain why.

Law of Effect: Skinner and Premack have very different ways of thinking about reinforcers. Find one puzzle which illustrates a Skinnerian approach and one puzzle which illustrates a Premackian approach to thinking about reinforcers. Explain your reason for classification in each case.

Open up a document window in your favorite word processing program. Copy each classification puzzle and paste it into your wordprocessing document. Number the puzzles (1-4) and explain your analysis. Print your document and bring it to class.