Ch 6 Feedback Reinforcement and Intrinsic Motivation

Summary

This script explores the concept of reinforcement and motivation, particularly within the context of teaching and coaching. It delves into the theories of behavior modification, focusing on positive and negative reinforcement strategies to shape desired behaviors. Highlighting B.F. Skinner's principles, it discusses how rewards and punishments influence learning, both extrinsically and intrinsically. The script also addresses motivational theories like cognitive evaluation and self-determination, emphasizing the role of flow state in optimal performance. Practical applications in sports and education underscore the importance of positive reinforcement to foster growth and mastery.

Takeaways

• 🔄 Reinforcement uses rewards and punishment to shape behavior by increasing or decreasing the likelihood of future actions.
• 🌱 Motivation is enhanced when the environment fosters growth, mastery, and pleasure through positive reinforcement techniques.
• 📚 B.F. Skinner's theory of reinforcement suggests that arranging reinforcement expedites learning and strengthens desired behaviors.
• ⚖️ Positive reinforcement encourages repeated desirable behaviors, while negative reinforcement attempts to reduce unwanted behaviors.
• 🎯 Reinforcement impacts individuals differently, as the same action may be seen as positive by one person and negative by another.
• 🏆 Positive reinforcement focuses on rewards, while negative reinforcement focuses on punishment and error correction.
• 🚫 Punishment, if not applied carefully, can have unintended consequences such as arousing fear of failure or reinforcing unwanted behavior.
• 🌟 Intrinsic motivation comes from within the individual and can be fostered by creating environments focused on learning, improvement, and mastery rather than just outcomes.
• 💡 Cognitive Evaluation Theory explains how people perceive rewards, which influences their motivation and behavior.
• 🌊 Flow state occurs when an individual's skills and challenges are balanced, allowing them to perform optimally and feel absorbed in the activity.

Q & A

What is reinforcement, and how does it influence behavior?

Reinforcement is the use of rewards or punishment to increase or decrease the likelihood of a specific response occurring in the future. It shapes behavior by either encouraging positive actions through rewards or discouraging undesirable actions through punishment.

Who is B.F. Skinner, and what did he contribute to the theory of reinforcement?

B.F. Skinner is a prominent behavioral theorist who contributed to the theory of behavior modification and operant conditioning. He suggested that learning is facilitated by reinforcement, which speeds up behavior acquisition and ensures the appearance of desired behaviors.

What are the two basic principles of reinforcement?

The two basic principles are: 1) Success or reward increases the likelihood of repeating a behavior to gain more positive experiences. 2) Punishment or negative experiences decrease the likelihood of repeating a behavior to avoid unpleasant outcomes.

How does reinforcement affect different individuals?

Reinforcement affects individuals differently. For example, a punishment such as a lower grade for late work may motivate one person to improve, while another might perceive it as attention and not change their behavior.

What is the difference between positive and negative reinforcement?

Positive reinforcement strengthens behavior by rewarding desirable actions, making them more likely to occur in the future. Negative reinforcement, on the other hand, tries to eliminate unwanted behaviors through punishment or criticism.

Why is a positive approach to reinforcement preferred in sports and coaching?

A positive approach is recommended because it leads to better team cohesion, higher satisfaction among athletes, and a more enjoyable environment. Coaches who use predominantly positive feedback foster better relationships and motivate athletes more effectively.

What is intrinsic motivation, and why is it important?

Intrinsic motivation is the drive that comes from within an individual to be competent and self-determined. It is important because it fosters long-term engagement, personal growth, and a deeper sense of satisfaction from participating in activities without external rewards.

What are the key elements of the flow state, and how does it affect performance?

Flow is a state where individuals are fully absorbed in an activity, achieving optimal performance. Key elements include a balance of challenge and skills, clear goals, total concentration, a sense of control, and effortless movement. Flow enhances performance by keeping individuals focused and motivated.

What is shaping, and how does it help in skill development?

Shaping is the process of reinforcing small improvements as an individual learns a skill. By rewarding successive approximations of the desired behavior, it encourages continuous progress and helps the individual eventually master the skill.

What potential negative effects can punishment have in a coaching environment?

Punishment can lead to undesirable side effects such as fear of failure, reinforcing the unwanted behavior, producing shame, and hindering skill learning. It may also be misinterpreted as attention, which can diminish its effectiveness.

Outlines

00:00

🔄 Reinforcement, Motivation, and Behavior Conditioning

This paragraph introduces the concept of reinforcement, which uses rewards and punishments to influence future behavior. It highlights BF Skinner’s behaviorist theories, emphasizing that teaching or coaching is based on reinforcement. Success and punishment play critical roles in determining repeated behaviors, though reinforcement is complex as individuals react differently to the same stimulus. The paragraph also discusses both positive and negative approaches to reinforcement in teaching and coaching.

05:00

🏅 Benefits of Positive Coaching and Reinforcement

This section focuses on the advantages of positive reinforcement over punishment in coaching. Research suggests that individuals coached with positive reinforcement enjoy their experiences more, bond better with teammates, and perform better. It highlights how rewards and positive feedback can improve behavior and performance. Additionally, it mentions that while some punishment can help control negative behaviors, a positive approach is recommended to enhance motivation and reduce negative side effects.

10:02

📈 The Role of Feedback in Motivation and Mastery

This paragraph explores how feedback, especially positive reinforcement, can motivate individuals by helping them understand their progress. It explains the concepts of extrinsic and intrinsic rewards, noting that intrinsic motivation fosters deeper engagement. Timing and frequency of reinforcement are important during learning, with gradual rewards supporting skill development. The paragraph also introduces 'shaping,' a technique where incremental improvements are rewarded to encourage mastery.

15:03

⚖️ Balancing Challenges and Skills for Optimal Flow

This part delves into the concept of 'flow,' where individuals perform optimally when their skills and challenges are balanced. It describes the key elements of flow, such as complete absorption in an activity, clear goals, and loss of self-consciousness. Flow occurs when individuals are fully immersed and motivated by the task itself. The text also discusses factors that can disrupt flow, including physical problems, mistakes, or lack of focus, and suggests strategies to increase the likelihood of achieving flow.

20:05

✅ Positive Reinforcement and Personal Responsibility

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of consistently using positive reinforcement to influence behavior. It advises avoiding personal attacks when using punishment and focusing instead on the behavior. The section suggests involving individuals in decisions about punishment to foster a sense of ownership over their actions. Finally, it stresses the need to choose effective reinforcers, ensuring individuals understand why they are receiving either positive or negative reinforcement.

Keywords

💡Reinforcement

Reinforcement refers to the use of rewards or punishments to increase or decrease the likelihood of a specific behavior occurring in the future. In the context of the video, reinforcement is a central tool used in coaching or teaching to motivate behavior, with positive reinforcement encouraging desirable actions and negative reinforcement aiming to reduce unwanted behavior.

💡Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation is the drive to perform an activity for its inherent satisfaction rather than for some separable consequence. The video emphasizes that intrinsic motivation is ideal for fostering learning and performance, where individuals are motivated from within rather than through external rewards like grades or praise. For example, an athlete practicing out of love for the sport demonstrates intrinsic motivation.

💡Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement involves rewarding appropriate behaviors to increase the likelihood of them being repeated. The video suggests that positive feedback should be the dominant form of reinforcement in coaching and teaching. For instance, a student receiving praise for studying and improving their grade is an example of positive reinforcement.

💡Negative Reinforcement

Negative reinforcement refers to the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to encourage the repetition of a desired behavior. In the video, this concept is used to explain how punishment or criticism may decrease undesirable behavior, such as when a coach criticizes an athlete’s mistake to prevent it from happening again.

💡Shaping

Shaping is a process of reinforcing small steps toward a more complex or difficult behavior. In the context of the video, it is used to describe how individuals learning new skills should receive reinforcement for successful approximations, even if the skill isn’t fully mastered yet. For example, rewarding incremental improvements in a student’s performance over time is part of the shaping process.

💡Punishment

Punishment is a form of negative reinforcement used to reduce or eliminate undesirable behaviors. The video highlights that while punishment can control negative actions, it has potential drawbacks such as creating a fear of failure or shame, which may hinder learning. For instance, punishing an athlete for mistakes during a game could lead to a negative impact on their future performance.

💡Cognitive Evaluation Theory

Cognitive Evaluation Theory is a subset of Self-Determination Theory that focuses on how external rewards are perceived by individuals and how this perception impacts intrinsic motivation. In the video, this theory is used to explain how athletes or students react to rewards depending on whether they feel in control of their outcomes, which can either enhance or diminish intrinsic motivation.

💡Flow State

Flow state refers to a mental state where an individual is fully absorbed and engaged in an activity, often leading to optimal performance. The video describes flow as an important aspect of intrinsic motivation, particularly in sports and exercise. For example, athletes in a flow state may lose track of time and feel effortlessly in control of their movements.

💡Mastery-Oriented Climate

A mastery-oriented climate refers to an environment that emphasizes personal growth, learning, and improvement rather than competition or comparison with others. The video suggests that such an environment fosters intrinsic motivation by focusing on tasks and challenges that promote skill development rather than solely rewarding outcomes like winning.

💡Target Model

The Target model is a framework used to create a mastery-oriented climate by manipulating six key factors: Tasks, Authority, Recognition, Grouping, Evaluation, and Timing. The video outlines this model as a way to structure learning environments that encourage intrinsic motivation and mastery of skills, emphasizing that these factors can be tailored to enhance an individual’s motivation and performance.

Highlights

Reinforcement is the use of rewards and punishment to influence the likelihood of behaviors recurring.

Motivation can be enhanced with techniques that foster pleasure, growth, and mastery.

B.F. Skinner, a key behavioral theorist, emphasized the role of reinforcement in learning and coaching.

Reinforcement principles suggest that success or reward leads to repeating behavior, while punishment discourages it.

Reinforcers can affect individuals differently; what may feel like punishment to one could be attention to another.

Positive reinforcement strengthens desired behaviors by rewarding appropriate actions, increasing the likelihood of future positive responses.

Negative reinforcement aims to eliminate unwanted behaviors through punishment or criticism, focusing on errors.

Sport psychologists recommend using a predominantly positive approach to feedback in coaching to avoid negative side effects of punishment.

Research shows athletes who play for positive-oriented coaches experience greater team cohesion and enjoy their sports more.

Rewards can be extrinsic (from external sources) or intrinsic (driven by personal satisfaction and internal motivation).

Intrinsic motivation is enhanced in environments focused on learning and improvement, not competition and comparison.

Positive reinforcement should focus on rewarding small improvements as new skills are learned, a process called shaping.

Punishment in coaching can backfire by creating fear of failure, reinforcing unwanted behaviors, or producing shame.

Flow, a state of optimal performance, occurs when an athlete's skills and challenges are balanced, resulting in full absorption in the task.

Positive feedback, appropriate challenges, and team unity can help facilitate flow and intrinsic motivation in athletes.

Transcripts

chapter six feedback reinforcement and

intrinsic

motivation reinforcement is the use of

rewards and punishment that increases or

decreases the likelihood of a similar

response occurring in the future

motivation is enhanced with motivational

techniques to create an environment that

Fosters pleasure growth and Mastery the

theories of reinforcement are heavily

rooted in the theories of beh behavior

modification and Operate conditioning BF

Skinner is one of the most widely known

and prominent behavioral theorists he

has suggested that 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 that expedites learning

hastens the appearance of behaviors 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 or 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

reinforcer will affect two people

differently people react differently to

the same

reinforcement some people may take an

action such as a decreased grade for

late work as punishment While others

would look at this as attention and

recognition individuals may not be able

to repeat a desired Behavior especially

when that event is unusual for example a

quarterback who 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

ultimately end up hurting his team and

lastly individuals receive different

reinforcers in different situations we

need to consider the reinforc Ms 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 coach the positive

approach which are designed by

strengthening behaviors by motivating Us

by rewarding appropriate behavior which

then increases the likelihood of

desirable responses occurring in the

future the next negative approach

attempts to eliminate unwanted behaviors

through punishment Andor criticism by

focusing on punishing undesirable

behaviors which should in theory reduce

the inappropriate behaviors the negative

approach focuses on errors and attempts

to eliminate unwanted behaviors through

punishment and or

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 in the top left

Marge Bart and Lisa see smoke coming

from the kitchen they likely provided

criticism and maybe even some ridicule

to point out Homer's errors in his

cooking which then prompts him to throw

out all the food resulting in him

rejoining the family instead of cooking

the positive reinforcement focuses on

rewarding appropriate behavior in the

top right B is seen studying this is a

novel thing for I'm sure he receives a

positive grade on his math test and then

is rewarded with a gift for the holidays

based on this positive

behavior in the World of Sports and

exercise some coaches instructors and

teachers still use threats of punishment

as their primary motivation tool however

a positive approach is recommended with

working with athletes and exercisers so

think about yourself which do you

use while it's common for coaches and

instructors to combine both positive and

negative reinforcement and feedback

Sport and exercise psychologists agree

that the dominant approach for physical

education and sports should be

predominantly positive feedback the

positive coaching Alliance which trains

youth sport coaches recommends a ratio

of 5 to one concerning positive to

negative feedback Sports psychologists

highly recommend a positive approach to

motivation to avoid the the potential

negative side effects of using

punishment as the primary approach

research has indicated that individuals

who play for positive oriented coaches

like their teammates better enjoy their

athletic experiences more like their

coaches more and have greater team

cohesion reinforcement can take multiple

forms such as approval positive comments

media press and rewards to name a few

rewards should meet the needs of those

receiving the rewards positive

reinforcement should focus on

emphasizing the positive aspect of

individuals and improving rather than on

screwing up positive reinforcement

serves as a reward for the desired

Behavior but also provides the

individual with performance feedback

positive feedback is motivated by

correcting misconceptions about

performance we can still do this by

looking at game performance statistics

or student grades in a course as

examples to determine how well people

are performing and making adjustments

accordingly positive feedback is also

motivated by creating internal

consequences for example how well did

they perform in relation to others or

the standard this also allows

individuals or a coach to put play or

performance in perspective in relation

to set goals you probably do this on

every exam you have you look at your

grade and then when you look at the

class average to see where you're at

rewards can be either extrinsic or

intrinsic rewards are extrinsic if they

come from an external or outside of the

individual Source such as from a course

or from a coach or a 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 that rewards are effective during

the initial stages of training or skill

development desirable responses should

be reinforced often perhaps on an almost

continuous

schedule once someone Masters a skill it

is less critical to reinforce positive

performance immediately although it's

still essential that the correct

behaviors be reinforced at some point

during the activity choosing the

appropriate behaviors to reward is

critical when individuals are learning

new skills they're going to make

mistakes while the individual is

learning it's important to reinforce

successful approximations of difficult

behaviors this means that we will need

to reward small improvements as the

skill is learned this is called shaping

and it allows people to continue to

improve as they get get closer and

closer to the desired response we need

to reward performance as it's happening

this increases the chances of that

behavior being repeated or a new level

of skill being

reached positive reinforcement should be

the predominant way to influence

behavior although many professionals

argue against the use of punishment or

negative reinforcement it can actually

help to control and change negative

behaviors un unfortunately negative

reinforcement or punishment can have

certain undesirable side effects that

interfere with the intended outcomes for

example individuals may misinterpret the

punishment as

attention this may look like a reward to

the individual instead of being the

punishment as it was

intended some coaches think that

punishment will eliminate an athlete's

error the thought is if an athlete fears

making mistakes 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're

participating we can use negative

reinforcement sparingly but we need to

make sure that the punishment is

enforced when it is employed otherwise

it loses its Effectiveness the potential

drawbacks of punishment and criticism

include arous cing fear of failure

reinforcing The Unwanted Behavior

producing shame and hindering the

learning of

skills so if this is the case how can

some people use lots and lots of

negative reinforcement and still be so

successful Bobby Knight's a fantastic

example of

this coaches that succeed through the

consistent use of negative

reinforcements are masters of strategy

teaching or technical analysis likely

negative reinforcement is not the only

strategy that makes them

successful typically these coaches

communicate caring for their team any

negative actions or comments are not

taken personally by either the coach or

the athletes there is a professional

respect if you will that understands

that these behaviors only will happen in

the context of practice or games coaches

who employ negative reinforcement

strategies successfully frequently have

very talented Ed athletes and the

coaches themselves are skilled teachers

and strategists which allows their

professional abilities to overshadow

their negative

approach intrinsic motivation is

important because it resides within the

individual outside sources such as

coaches and teachers cannot directly

offer intrinsic rewards however they can

structure the environment to promote

intrinsic motivation individuals strive

from an inward factor to be become more

competent and

self-determining achieving intrinsic

motivation is thought to be the ideal

motivation resource however reaching it

varies within the individual and among

situations there are several popular

motivational 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

and

understanding motivational 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 the

effectiveness relatedness and the

autonomy under this Theory intrinsic

motivation performance and cognitive

developments are maximized in Social

context providing the individual

opportunities to to satisfy these basic

needs cognitive evaluation Theory helps

explain the variability and intrinsic

motivation common athlete perception

problems include controlling aspects

like their career informational aspects

usually of their self success and

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 which can be

manipulated first is the 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 tasks

challenging but also needing a purpose

the a stands for Authority we can

provide opportunities to develop a sense

of personal control and Independence

that this helps to Foster participation

and a sense of ownership in the activity

RS for recognition this includes formal

and informal incentives and praise for

completion of tasks this helps to focus

the individual on their progress and

Improvement towards the Mastery of

skills G stands for groupings we can

help facilitate Mastery by utilizing

groupings which are Arrangements

utilized in learning environments

allowing students to master cont content

or skills we can use individual and

Cooperative learning experiences to help

Master tasks EAS for evaluation methods

to assess or 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 work or the pace

of the instruction this allows the

learner to participate in scheduled

activities appropriate for the level of

their master

hisory flow is a relatively new area of

research in sport and exercise

psychology flow is essentially our

normal study state or in other words our

autopilot state of being which includes

our intrinsic motivation levels

researchers have tried to determine what

makes tasks intrinsically

motivating this is a flow model this

chart can be located on page 145 in the

text if an individual knows how to

achieve flow then they will 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 or

high challenge anxiety will

result combining low skills and low

challenge results in apathy or

relaxation whereas combining High skills

and low challenge results in

boredom the elements of flow have been

identified in a variety of performance

settings but have several common factors

the Essential Elements for the Flow

State include 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 faced complete

absorption in the activity

the participant is so involved in the

activity that nothing else seems to

matter clear goals goals are clearly

stated so everyone knows exactly what to

do this Clarity of intention facilitates

concentration and

attention the merging of action and

awareness the individual is aware of

their actions but not of the awareness

itself total concentration on the task

at hand the focus of attention is

clearly on the tasks at hand 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 about the possibility of a lack

of control no goals or rewards external

to the activity the individual

participates purely because of the

activity itself without seeking any

other reward the the transformation of

time individuals in flow typically

report that time seems to either speed

up or slow down

dramatically and lastly effortless

movement 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 this word is composed of two

Greek Roots Auto meaning self and

meaning goal an autotelic activity is

one in which we do for its own sake

because the experience is the main

goal so can we control flow

unfortunately the answer is no however

we can increase the probability of flow

occurring if we try to maximize

preparation for the event increasing the

skills and having high challenge will

facilitate the presence of flow in Elite

athletes flow can be disrup Ed easily in

non-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 organized physical education

courses there are some individuals who

are not motivated to compete with others

and therefore they withdraw from the

activity we also see this in the

presence of others such as

parents it is extremely important to

understand that factors can disrupt or

prevent Flow State and individuals as

well the factor cited most often is

preventing flow or less than optimal

physical preparation Readiness and

environmental or situational conditions

the factors cited most often for

disrupting the flow state were

environmental and situational

influences some of the most common

factors preventing and disrupting flow

in athletes include physical problems

and mistakes inability to maintain Focus

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 so some of the ways that we can

increase the facilitation of flow

we can develop positive mental attitudes

positive pre-competition effect positive

competitive

effect appropriate attentional Focus

Physical Readiness and unity with the

team or

coach additionally we can include these

factors providing successful

experiences giving rewards based on

performance the use of verbal and

non-verbal praise variety of content and

sequence of practice drills involving

participants in decisions and setting

realistic performance

goals so how can you help provide

feedback reinforcement and intrinsic

motivation to others be consistent in

your actions remember to be successful

the majority of your feedback should be

in the form of positive

reinforcement if you're going to

incorporate punishment punish the

behavior and not the person and if

possible allow without input on

punishments sometimes this is not

possible nor practical but when it is

include the individual to encourage the

sense of ownership of

actions we can make all of this work for

us choose effective reinforcers for the

individual make sure you are reinforcing

the right behaviors make reinforcements

dependent on performance of desired

behaviors and lastly make sure the

person understands why they are

receiving the POS positive or negative

reinforcement that they

are