Discovering more about human and animal behavior
PORTL is a tabletop game that provides an interactive environment for learning about behavior principles and investigating behavioral phenomena. It is played using a collection of small objects, a clicker to select behavior, and small blocks as reinforcers. It can be used for teaching, inquiry, and research. … Read more
In this webinar, Dr. Rosales-Ruiz shared some of his favorite stories from his time working with Dr. Ogden Lindsley. He discussed what it was like working with Ogden, how to think about research, Ogden’s ideas about movement cycles and conditioned reinforcers, the acronym MUSIC, and more. He even explained why you shouldn’t milk a chicken! … Read more
In the 1950s, Dr. Fred Keller wrote a book called Learning: Reinforcement Theory. The size of a small paperback novel, it’s a short book. The whole thing is about 80 pages. However, within its pages, Dr. Keller explains the basics of operant and respondent conditioning, reinforcement, punishment, extinction, intermittent reinforcement, generalization, discrimination, chaining, and more. … Read more
Adding more duration to a behavior can sometimes be difficult, even for teachers who are good at shaping. When the teacher changes the criteria for reinforcement, the learner may wonder, “Should I do MORE of this same behavior? Or, am I supposed to do a DIFFERENT behavior?” If the learner engages in other behaviors, this … Read more
At several conferences around 2010, I heard animal trainer Bob Bailey warn about what he calls “desperation-driven clicks.” When training an animal, things don’t always work out the way the trainer planned. What can sometimes happen when things don’t go as planned is that the trainer, out of desperation or frustration, goes ahead and reinforces … Read more
The Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab (PORTL) is a powerful tool for modeling behavior principles and for teaching students how to shape behaviors. In addition, it can be used to conduct research studies. (If you’ve never heard of PORTL, visit this article to learn more.) The simplicity of PORTL makes it ideal for research. … Read more