Ch 7 Feedback, Reinforcement, and Intrinsic Motivation

Summary

This script explores reinforcement and intrinsic motivation, emphasizing the impact of rewards and punishments on behavior. It discusses BF Skinner's theories on operant conditioning and how reinforcement can vary in effectiveness. The script contrasts positive and negative reinforcement methods, using examples from 'The Simpsons' and sports coaching. It advocates a predominantly positive approach, highlighting potential negative side effects of punishment. The importance of intrinsic motivation and creating a conducive environment for it is also discussed, along with strategies to facilitate flow and enhance performance.

Takeaways

• 😊 Reinforcement involves using rewards and punishments to increase or decrease the likelihood of specific behaviors.
• 💪 Motivation is enhanced by creating environments that foster pleasure, growth, and mastery through positive techniques.
• 📚 BF Skinner emphasized the role of reinforcement in learning, stating that students can learn faster with structured reinforcement.
• 😇 Positive reinforcement encourages repeating desirable behaviors by rewarding them, while negative reinforcement discourages unwanted behaviors through punishment.
• 🧠 Different individuals may react differently to the same reinforcements, highlighting the complexity of human behavior.
• 🏈 Athletes, like students, benefit from positive reinforcement, but recreating peak performances is often difficult under pressure.
• 👍 Sports psychologists recommend a 5:1 ratio of positive to negative feedback, fostering better relationships and enjoyment in sports.
• 🎁 Extrinsic rewards come from external sources like teachers, while intrinsic rewards are internal, driven by personal growth and self-motivation.
• 🔄 Reinforcement should be frequent and timely during the early stages of learning to ensure that correct behaviors are reinforced.
• 🌊 The flow state, a high-performance zone, is achieved when skills and challenges are high, fostering optimal focus and performance.

Q & A

What is reinforcement in the context of motivation?

Reinforcement is the use of rewards and punishments to increase or decrease the likelihood of a similar response occurring in the future, enhancing motivation through motivational techniques that create an environment fostering pleasure, growth, and mastery.

Who is BF Skinner and what is his contribution to reinforcement theories?

BF Skinner is a widely known behavioral theorist who suggested that teaching or coaching rests on the principles of reinforcement. He believed that students learn based on an arrangement of reinforcement, which can expedite learning and ensure the appearance of desired behaviors.

What are the two basic underlying principles of reinforcement?

The two basic underlying principles of reinforcement are: 1) If someone experiences success or reward, they will try to repeat that behavior to receive additional positive experiences. 2) If someone experiences punishment or something unpleasant, they will try not to repeat that behavior.

How can reinforcement principles affect two people differently?

Reinforcement principles can affect two people differently because individuals react differently to the same reinforcement. Some may take an action as punishment while others may view it as attention or recognition.

What is the positive approach to teaching and coaching?

The positive approach to teaching and coaching involves strengthening behaviors by motivating and rewarding appropriate behaviors, which increases the likelihood of desirable responses occurring in the future.

What is the negative approach to teaching and coaching?

The negative approach to teaching and coaching attempts to eliminate unwanted behaviors through punishment or criticism by focusing on punishing undesirable behaviors, which should reduce inappropriate behaviors.

How does the Simpsons TV show illustrate negative and positive reinforcement?

In the Simpsons, negative reinforcement is shown when Marge, Bart, and Lisa criticize Homer's cooking, prompting him to throw away the food and rejoin the family. Positive reinforcement is illustrated when Bart receives a good grade and is rewarded with a gift for his positive behavior.

Why is a predominantly positive approach recommended in coaching?

A predominantly positive approach is recommended in coaching because it avoids the potential negative side effects of using punishment as the primary approach. Research indicates that individuals who play for positive-oriented coaches enjoy their athletic experience more and have better team cohesion.

What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards?

Extrinsic rewards come from an external source, such as a course or a teacher. Intrinsic rewards reside within the participant and are motivated by internal factors like personal satisfaction or a sense of achievement.

What is the importance of intrinsic motivation in learning?

Intrinsic motivation is important because it drives individuals from an inward factor to become more competent and self-determined. It is considered the ideal motivational resource as it promotes learning, effort, and improvement without reliance on external rewards.

How can flow be facilitated in physical activity or sports?

Flow can be facilitated by maximizing preparation for the event, increasing skills, and having high challenges. It is a state of complete absorption where the individual is fully involved in the activity, has clear goals, and experiences a loss of self-consciousness.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Introduction to Reinforcement and Motivation in Coaching

This paragraph introduces the concept of reinforcement and its role in motivation. Reinforcement, which includes rewards and punishments, influences the likelihood of certain behaviors reoccurring. The theories of reinforcement, grounded in behavior modification and operant conditioning, are discussed through the lens of B.F. Skinner’s work. Skinner believed that reinforcement expedites learning, making behaviors appear more quickly or ensuring their occurrence. The paragraph highlights the complexity of reinforcement and how individuals react differently to rewards or punishments.

05:01

🌟 Positive and Negative Reinforcement in Coaching

The second paragraph delves into the two main approaches to reinforcement—positive and negative. Positive reinforcement focuses on encouraging desired behaviors through rewards, while negative reinforcement seeks to eliminate unwanted behaviors through punishment. The benefits of positive reinforcement, particularly in sports and coaching, are emphasized, with examples from the TV show 'The Simpsons' illustrating how each approach works. A recommendation is made for a predominantly positive feedback approach to enhance motivation and minimize the negative effects of punishment.

10:04

👍 Positive Feedback and Intrinsic Motivation in Sports

This paragraph discusses the importance of a 5:1 ratio of positive to negative feedback in coaching. Studies show that athletes respond better to positive reinforcement, leading to better team cohesion and enjoyment of the sport. Positive reinforcement should focus on rewarding individual progress and improving performance. The paragraph explains how both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards can influence motivation, stressing the importance of reinforcing small improvements (shaping) during skill development. While negative reinforcement can control behavior, its side effects can sometimes hinder the desired outcome.

15:06

📊 Balancing Positive and Negative Reinforcement in Coaching

Here, the focus is on the success of coaches who employ negative reinforcement strategies while balancing this with technical expertise and care for their teams. The importance of intrinsic motivation is highlighted, as it resides within individuals and cannot be externally provided by coaches. The cognitive evaluation theory, a sub-theory of self-determination theory, is introduced, explaining how athletes perceive rewards. Coaches are encouraged to create environments that foster mastery, autonomy, and positive reinforcement to promote intrinsic motivation and optimal performance.

20:08

🏆 The Role of 'Flow' in Sports Performance

Flow, the state in which athletes are fully absorbed in their performance, is described in this paragraph. The concept of flow is important for achieving optimal performance, and it occurs when skills and challenges are balanced. The flow model explains how varying skill levels and challenges affect athletes’ experiences, from anxiety to boredom. Essential elements of flow, such as clear goals, concentration, and a loss of self-consciousness, are detailed. While flow cannot be directly controlled, athletes and coaches can increase the likelihood of achieving flow by enhancing skills and preparation.

🚀 Facilitating Flow and Reinforcement in Sports and Education

The final paragraph provides strategies for fostering flow in sports and education settings. These include promoting positive mental attitudes, readiness, and a sense of unity among team members. Coaches can facilitate flow by providing rewards based on performance, varying practice drills, and encouraging involvement in decision-making. Effective reinforcement and consistent positive feedback are crucial for sustaining motivation. The paragraph also stresses the importance of punishing behaviors, not individuals, and ensuring that athletes or students understand the reasons behind any form of feedback.

Keywords

💡Reinforcement

Reinforcement refers to the process of using rewards or punishments to increase or decrease the likelihood of a certain behavior being repeated. In the video, reinforcement is central to coaching and teaching, and is divided into positive (rewards for good behavior) and negative (punishments for bad behavior) reinforcement. For example, the video explains how rewarding good behavior like improved grades encourages repetition of that behavior.

💡Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation is driven by internal satisfaction or enjoyment of an activity itself, rather than external rewards. In the context of the video, intrinsic motivation is important for long-term engagement and mastery in learning or sports. Teachers and coaches can create environments that foster intrinsic motivation by focusing on personal growth and internal rewards, rather than external comparisons.

💡Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning is a behavioral theory by B.F. Skinner, where behaviors are shaped by reinforcement or punishment. The video discusses how this theory underpins the use of reinforcement in coaching and teaching. Coaches use reinforcement to hasten the learning process, speeding up the appearance of desired behaviors, which aligns with the operant conditioning model.

💡Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is the act of rewarding a desirable behavior to increase the likelihood that it will happen again. The video emphasizes that positive reinforcement should be the dominant approach in coaching, as it leads to greater enjoyment and team cohesion. An example is rewarding a student with praise or gifts for doing well in a test, as seen in the video’s example of Bart from the Simpsons.

💡Negative Reinforcement

Negative reinforcement involves discouraging undesirable behavior by applying punishment or criticism. The video highlights the potential drawbacks of negative reinforcement, such as creating fear or shame, but also acknowledges its limited use in correcting behaviors. For instance, the video contrasts how some coaches use negative reinforcement sparingly to eliminate errors during practice.

💡Flow State

Flow state is a mental state where an individual becomes fully immersed and focused on an activity, often resulting in peak performance. The video explains that flow is achieved when both skill level and challenges are high, and discusses how athletes and students experience flow when their abilities match the demands of the task. The absence of flow, like in cases of low challenge or low skill, leads to boredom or anxiety.

💡Cognitive Evaluation Theory

Cognitive Evaluation Theory is a sub-theory of self-determination theory, focusing on how people perceive rewards and how that influences their intrinsic motivation. The video explains that if rewards are perceived as controlling, they can undermine intrinsic motivation. Coaches and teachers can use this theory to balance external rewards while promoting autonomy and competence.

💡Self-Determination Theory

Self-Determination Theory explains how individuals' motivation is influenced by three key needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In the video, this theory is used to show how environments that meet these needs enhance intrinsic motivation, leading to better performance in learning and sports. For example, creating tasks that offer personal control and independence promotes autonomy and mastery.

💡Shaping

Shaping is the process of reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior until the full behavior is achieved. The video explains how, in learning or skill development, it's important to reward small improvements to encourage continued progress. Coaches and teachers apply shaping by reinforcing not only perfect execution, but also incremental progress towards mastery.

💡Mastery-Oriented Climate

A mastery-oriented climate is an environment that focuses on learning, effort, and improvement, rather than competition and comparison. In the video, it is suggested that creating such a climate fosters intrinsic motivation, helping individuals focus on self-improvement. The video uses the 'TARGET' model to explain how teachers and coaches can structure activities to promote mastery goals rather than outcome-based goals.

Highlights

Reinforcement involves the use of rewards and punishments to shape behavior.

Motivation techniques aim to foster pleasure, growth, and mastery.

B.F. Skinner's theories emphasize the role of reinforcement in learning.

Reinforcement principles suggest that success leads to repetition of behavior.

Punishment or unpleasant experiences discourage the repetition of behavior.

Reinforcement effects can vary between individuals.

Positive reinforcement strengthens behaviors by rewarding appropriate actions.

Negative reinforcement aims to eliminate unwanted behaviors through punishment.

The Simpsons TV show provides practical examples of negative and positive reinforcement.

Coaches and instructors often combine positive and negative reinforcement.

A predominantly positive feedback approach is recommended in physical education and sports.

Positive coaching can lead to better team cohesion and enjoyment of the athletic experience.

Reinforcement can take various forms, including approval, positive comments, and rewards.

Intrinsic motivation comes from within the individual and is linked to self-determination.

Cognitive evaluation theory focuses on how rewards are perceived and their impact on motivation.

Self-determination theory emphasizes the importance of competence, relatedness, and autonomy.

The TARGET acronym can be used to remember factors that can facilitate mastery-oriented climates.

Flow is a state of optimal performance where individuals are fully absorbed in an activity.

Flow can be facilitated by a balance of challenge and skills, clear goals, and a loss of self-consciousness.

Factors that can disrupt flow include physical problems, inability to maintain focus, and negative attitudes.

Providing feedback, reinforcement, and intrinsic motivation involves being consistent and focusing on positive reinforcement.

Transcripts

feedback reinforcement and intrinsic

motivation reinforcement is the use of

rewards and punishments that increases

or decreases the likelihood of a similar

response occurring in the future

motivation is enhanced with motivational

techniques to create an environment

fostering pleasure growth and mastery

the theories of reinforcement are

heavily rooted in the theories of

behavioural modification and operant

conditioning BF Skinner is one of the

most widely known and prominent

behavioral theorists he suggested

teaching or in our context coaching

rests on the principles of reinforcement

Skinner suggested that students learn

based on an arrangement of reinforcement

he said students learn without teaching

in their natural environment but

teachers arrange special reinforcement

the expedite learning hastening the

appearance of behavior that would

otherwise be acquired slowly or making

sure of the appearance of behavior that

might otherwise never occur there are

two basic underlying principles of

reinforcement first if someone

experiences success or reward they will

try to mimic and repeat that behavior to

receive additional good positive

experiences secondly if someone

experiences punishment or something

unpleasant they will try not to repeat

that behavior reinforcement principles

are extremely complex often the same

reinforcement will affect two people

differently people react differently to

the same reinforcement some people may

take an action such as decreased grade

for late work as punishment while others

would look at this as attention and even

recognition for others individuals may

not be able to repeat a desired behavior

especially when the event is unusual for

example a quarterback

throws six touchdowns in a game he may

receive a lot of positive attention for

his achievements however when he tries

to recreate that behavior he may throw

ill-advised passes resulting in

interceptions which then hurt his team

and lastly individuals receive different

reinforcers in different situations we

need to consider the reinforcements that

are available to the individual some of

these reinforcements may be competing

and dependent upon the source one may

outweigh the other in affecting a person

there are positive and negative ways to

teach and even to coach the positive

approach which are designed to

strengthen behaviors by motivating us by

rewarding appropriate behaviors which

increases the likelihood of desirable

responses occurring in the future the

negative approach attempts to eliminate

unwanted behaviors through punishment in

or criticism by focusing on punishing

undesirable behaviors which should

reduce the inappropriate behaviors the

negative approach focuses on errors and

attempts to eliminate unwanted behaviors

through punishment in criticism here are

some practical applications for negative

and positive reinforcement from the

beloved Simpsons TV show the negative

reinforcement occurs to punish unwanted

behavior on the top left Marge Bart and

Lisa see smoke coming from the kitchen

they provide criticism and point out

homers airs in his cooking prompting him

to throw all the food resulting in him

rejoining the family the positive

reinforcement focuses on rewarding

appropriate behavior in the top right

Bart is seen study he receives a

positive grade on his math test and then

is rewarded with a gift for the holidays

based on his positive behavior in the

world of sports an exercise some coaches

instructors and teachers still

use threats of punishment as their

primary motivation tool however a

positive approach is recommended when

working with athletes and exercisers so

which approach to reinforcement should

we choose it is common for coaches and

instructors to combine both positive and

negative reinforcement and feedback

exercise and sports psychologists agree

that the dominant approach for physical

education in sports should be

predominantly positive feedback the

positive coaching Alliance which trains

youth sport coaches recommends a five to

one ratio concerning positive to

negative feedback sports psychologists

highly recommend a positive approach to

motivation to avoid the potential

negative side effects of using

punishment as the primary approach

research has indicated the individuals

who play for positive oriented coaches

like their teammates better enjoy their

athletic experience more like their

coaches more and have a greater team

cohesion reinforcement can take multiple

forms such as approval positive comments

media press and rewards just to name a

few rewards should meet the needs of

those that are receiving the reward

positive reinforcement should focus on

emphasizing the positive aspects of the

individuals and improving rather than on

screwing up positive reinforcement

serves as a reward for the desirable

behavior but it also provides the

individual with performance feedback

positive feedback is motivated by

correcting misconceptions about

performance we can do this by looking at

game performance statistics or students

grades in a course for example to

determine how well people are performing

positive feedback is also motivated by

creating internal consequences for

example how well did the individual

perform in a relation to others or even

to a standard this also

allows individuals or even a coach to

put player performance in perspective in

relation to set goals rewards can either

be intrinsic or extrinsic rewards are

extrinsic if they come from an external

outside of the individual source such as

a course or from the course or the

teacher other rewards are called

intrinsic because they reside within the

participant if an environment is rich in

learning effort and improvement as

opposed to competition outcome and

social comparison then the participants

tend to be more intrinsically motivated

the appropriateness of reinforcement

timing and frequency can ensure the

rewards are effective during the initial

stages of training or skill development

desirable responses should be reinforced

often perhaps on an almost continual

schedule once someone has mastered a

skill it is less critical to reinforce

positive performance immediately

although it is still essential that the

correct behaviors are reinforced at some

point in time choosing the appropriate

behaviors to reward is critical when the

individual is learning a new skill

they're going to make mistakes while the

individual is learning it is important

to reinforce successful approximations

to difficult behaviors this means that

we will need to reward small

improvements as the skill is learned

this is called shaping and allows people

to continue to improve as they get

closer and closer to a desired response

we need to reward performance as it is

happening for the chances of that

behavior being repeated or a new level

of skill being reached

positive reinforcement should again be

the predominant way to influence

behavior although of many professionals

argue against the use of punishment or

negative reinforcement it can actually

control and change negative behavior as

well

negative reinforcement or punishment can

have certain undesirable side effects

that interfere with the intended

outcomes for example individuals may

misinterpret the information as a reward

or even as a tension for the individual

some coaches think that punishment will

eliminate an athlete's errors the

thought is if the athletes fear of

making mistakes then they will try

harder not to make them when coaching if

you are going to use negative

reinforcement be careful to avoid

berating or embarrassing athletes while

they're performing skills we also need

to make sure not to punish athletes

while they are participating you can use

negative reinforcement sparingly but we

need to make sure the punishment is

enforced when it is employed otherwise

it loses effectiveness the potential

drawback of punishment in criticism

include arousing fear of failure

reinforcing the unwanted behavior

producing shame and hindering the

learning of new skills so how come some

people use lots of negative

reinforcement and they're still

successful coaches that succeed through

the use of consistent negative

reinforcement our masters of strategy

teaching and technical analysis likely

negative reinforcement is not the only

strategy that makes them successful

these coaches typically also communicate

caring for their team any negative

actions or comments are not taken

personally by either the coach or the

team there is a professional respect if

you will that understands that these

behaviors only happen in the context of

practice or games coaches who employ

negative reinforcement strategies

successfully frequently have very

talented athletes and employ strategies

which allow their professional abilities

to overshadow their negative approach

intrinsic motivation is important

because they reside within the

outside sources such as coaches and

teachers cannot directly offer intrinsic

rewards but they can structure the

environment to promote intrinsic

motivation individuals strive from an

inward factor to become more competent

and self determined achieving intrinsic

motivation is thought to be the idea

motivation resource

however reaching it varies within the

individual and among situations there

are several popular motivation theories

which we should know one of which is the

cognitive evaluation theory this theory

focuses on how rewards are perceived

determining how rewards are perceived is

critical in determining motivation

outcomes for individuals cognitive

evaluation theory is a sub theory of the

more general self-determination theory

self-determination theory focuses on

three basic psychological needs

effectiveness relatedness and autonomy

under this theory intrinsic motivation

performance and cognitive development

are maximized in social context

providing the individual opportunities

to satisfy these basic needs cognitive

evaluation Theory helps to explain the

variability and intrinsic motivation

common athlete perception problems

include controlling the aspects like

their career informational aspects such

as their self success a failure of the

individual and function and significance

of the activity we can create a mastery

oriented climate by manipulating the

following environmental conditions we

can use the acronym target to help us

remember the factors that can be

manipulated t is for tasks we can

accomplish this by designing learning

activities and assignments to support

mastery goals it is important to include

a variety of tasks making the tasks

challenging but they also need to have a

purpose a is for authority we can

provide opportunities to develop a sense

of personal control and independence

this helps to foster active

participation and a sense of ownership

RS for recognition this is the formal

and informal incentives and praise for

completion of tasks this helps to focus

on individual progress and improvement

towards mastery of skills G is for

groupings we can help facilitate mastery

by utilizing groupings which are

arrangements utilized in a learning

environment allowing students to master

content or skills we can use individual

and cooperative learning experiences is

for evaluation we can use methods to

assess and monitor learning we can give

opportunities to improve work using

constructive criticism and positive

reinforcement and lastly T is for timing

the time includes the workload or the

pace of the instruction this allows the

learner to participate in scheduled

activities that are appropriate for

their level of nursery Flo is a

relatively new area of research in Sport

and Exercise psychology Flo is

essentially our normal steady state or

autopilot state which includes our

intrinsic motivation levels researchers

have tried to determine what makes a

task intrinsically motivating this is

the flow model this chart can be located

in your textbook if an individual knew

how to achieve flow then they would be

able to perform optimally

with regular frequency flow is obtained

when both capabilities or skills and

challenges are high if an athlete with

less ability is matched against a strong

opponent such as a high challenge

anxiety with results combining low skill

and low challenge results in apathy or

relaxation

whereas combining high skills and low

challenge results in boredom elements

have flow have been identified in a

variety of performance settings but have

several common factors the essential

elements of the flow state include that

there is a balance of challenge and

skills for flow to occur an individual

must believe that they have the skills

necessary to successfully meet the

physical technical and mental challenges

that are faced they are completely

absorbed in the activity the participate

is so involved with the activity that

nothing else seems to matter

there are clear goals goals are clearly

stated so everyone knows exactly what to

do this clarity of intention facilitates

concentration and attention there's a

merging of action and awareness the

individual is aware of their actions but

not of the awareness itself there's a

total concentration of the task at hand

the focus of the attention is clearly on

what the individual is doing at that

moment in time there's a loss of

self-consciousness the ego is completely

lost in the activity a sense of control

the individual is not actively aware of

control rather they are simply not

worried by the possibility of a lack of

control no goals are rewards external to

the activity the individual participates

purely because of the activity itself

without seeking any other reward there

is a transformation of time individuals

in flow will typically report that time

seems to speed up or slow down

dramatically and lastly movement is

effortless the individual is performing

well but does not spend a lot of time

thinking about it or appears to be

trying very hard

flow is often called an autotelic

experience and autotelic activity is one

that we do for its own sake because to

experience it is the main goal so can we

control flow unfortunately the answer is

no however we can increase the

probability of flow occurring by

maximizing the preparation for the event

increasing this skills and having high

challenge will facilitate the presence

of flow in elite athletes flow can be

disrupted easily and non elite athletes

participating in physical activity

programs internal reinforcement and

motivation have a significant impact on

flow in some individuals competition may

inhibit the presence of a flow State for

example organize physical education

courses there are some individuals who

are not motivated to compete with others

and therefore they withdraw from the

activity we can also see this in the

presence of others such as parents it is

extremely important to understand the

factors that can disrupt or prevent a

flow state in individuals the factors

cited most often is preventing flow were

less than optimal physical preparation

readiness and environmental or

situational conditions the factors cited

most often for disrupting a flow state

or environmental and situational factors

some of the most common flow factors for

athletes include physical problems and

mistakes the inability to maintain focus

a negative attitude and a lack of

audience or coach response you may even

find that some of these factors affect

you as a student especially in the

online environment how many of these

factors detract from your flow state in

a course such as this some ways that we

can increase the facilitation of flow we

can develop positive mental attitudes we

can have a positive pre competitive

effect a positive competitive effect

appropriate attentional focus physical

readiness and unity with the team in the

coach or in our case the instructor of

this course some additional factors to

increase the facilitation of flow

include providing successful experiences

giving our rewards based on performance

the use of verbal and nonverbal praise

we want to vary the content in sequence

of practice drills involving the

participants in decisions and setting

realistic performance goals so how can

you help provide feedback reinforcement

in intrinsic motivation to others we

want to be consistent in our actions

remember to be successful the majority

of your feedback should be in the form

of positive reinforcement if you are

going to incorporate punishment punish

the behavior and not the person and if

possible allow input on punishment

sometimes this is not possible nor

practical but when available include the

individual to encourage a sense of

ownership of actions we can all make

this work for us we want to choose

effective reinforcers for the individual

make sure you are reinforcing the right

behaviors make reinforcements dependent

on the performance of desired behavior

and lastly make sure that the person

understands why they are receiving

feedback punishment or other judgments