merrill@raja.DEC (12/31/85)
>... I forget which conditioning schedule is the most effective, >but I think it's a random variable interval. Experiments with dogs and monkeys has produced incontrovertible evidence that the strongest conditioning is produced by RANDOM reinforcement in AVOIDANCE behavior. A typical setup is to put subject in box with no top and metal bottom; flash light - variable short pause - give shock Sometimes. Subject QUICKLY learns to jump out (sides are high enough to require maximum effort). The uncertainty of How Quickly to jump and of not knowing that the shock is a Sure Think means that avoiding a shock is almost the same as knowing that a shock was there. One study showed 10 "trials" lead to over 100 "avoidances"! Of course, kids are not dogs and one would not want to repeat this with kids. My observations of my own five children indicates that (a) a random pause for "consideration" and (b) variable "consequences" within consistent ranges (3 seconds to 3 minutes; 0 to 3 swats) produces the acceptable results of about five trials yielding twenty avoidances. >...Research also indicates that punishment is rather ineffective at >extinguishing an undesirable behavior. What was the "trial" situation? How Much "punishment"? Without an example of the situation this statement contains that logical error of reasoning from the specific (known only to you) to the general (that you'd like me to believe). >... Most important thing I've learned about kids: they're surprisingly > resilient--don't let all the jargon and worries and theories keep > you from enjoying them! Paula Matuszek Truer words were never spoken (written)! Rick Merrill