Video games- The Virtual Skinner Box

A Rat in a Skinner Box works for food by pressing a lever repeatedly until a reinforcer is presented

A human playing a video game hits a controller repeatedly until a reinforcer is presented

What does this all mean?

Despite all my rage I’m just a rat in my cage?

What does this all mean?Let me explain!

Before:No Shock

Behavior:Rat

Presses Lever

AfterShock

Escape Contingency

Remember Operant Conditioning: “Reinforcing consequences following the response increase its future frequency; and aversive consequences following the response decrease its future frequency”

Skinner BoxA rat will press the lever for food

And…

A rat will press the lever 10 times for food

The Virtual Skinner BoxA human will press a button to start a video game

And…

A human will press a button 10 times to kill an opponent in a video game

As we go through life we encounter two types of reinforcers and aversive conditions:

Unlearned reinforcers and aversive conditions have not been previously paired with other reinforcers or aversive conditions.

As we go through life we encounter two types of reinforcers and aversive conditions:

Unlearned reinforcers and aversive conditions have not been previously paired with other reinforcers or aversive conditions.

Learned reinforcers and aversive conditions have been previously paired with other reinforcers or aversive conditions

The unlearned reinforcers are food and water.

And…

The Skinner Box

The unlearned reinforcers are food and water.

And…

The learned reinforcers are anything paired with food and water. For instance when the rats hear a click upon presentation of water

The Skinner Box

There are not any true unlearned reinforcers however the video game player will feel satisfaction when they save their character from death

And…

The Virtual Skinner Box

Reinforcement Contingency

Before:No

Extra Points

Behavior:Solve

Puzzle In

Less than 60 seconds

AfterExtra Points

There are not any true unlearned reinforcers however the video game player will feel satisfaction when they save their character from death

And…

The learned reinforcers are social reinforcers, achieving high scores and status, solving puzzles

The Virtual Skinner Box

Dual-functioning chained stimuli…a stimulus in a behavioral chain reinforces the response that precedes it and is an Sd or operandum for the following response

The Skinner BoxWhen a rat pulls a chain, then presses a lever

Then….

The rats is presented with food!

The Virtual Skinner Box

When a human presses a button in several correction combinations

Then….

The human acquires a new skill, money or tokens for use in another part of the game

Schedules of reinforcement

This is the way that reinforcement occurs including the number of responses, the time between responses and the stimulus conditions

Schedules of reinforcement

There are two types of reinforcement schedules: Continuous and Intermittent

Schedules of reinforcement

Intermittent reinforcement is more resistant to extinction

than continuous reinforcementand more relevant to the

skinner box and virtual skinner box

Schedules of reinforcement

Intermittent reinforcement has two types of reinforcement: ratio and interval that occur after a fixed or variable number of responses

Schedules of reinforcement

Intermittent reinforcement has two types of reinforcement: ratio and interval that occur after a fixed or variable number of responses

Ratio schedules are when a reinforcer follows a number of responses

Schedules of reinforcement

Intermittent reinforcement has two types of reinforcement: ratio and interval

Ratio schedules are when a reinforcer follows a number of responses

Interval schedules are when a reinforcer follows the first response after a time interval

Schedules of reinforcement

Intermittent reinforcement has two types of reinforcement: ratio and interval

Ratio schedules are when a reinforcer follows a number of responses

Interval schedules are when a reinforcer follows the first response after a time interval

When should I tell them that these can be based

on a fixed or variable number of responses?

What’s this?

This is a graph of the schedules of reinforcement, notice that the

Variable ratio schedule of reinforcement has the largest

slope and the greatest success at lever pressing

You are indeed like a rat in cage aka skinner box when you hit a

controller 50 times to kill an opponent, you hit the lever in

variable amount of time to achieve a reinforcer!

But rats only like cheese and sniffing around their cage, I’m more intelligent than that, I’m saving the virtual world from terrorism through Call of Duty!!!

But rats only like cheese and sniffing around their cage, I’m more intelligent than that, I’m saving the virtual world from terrorism through Call of Duty!!!

Before:Aversive stimulus of Game

Behavior: Turn

Game Off

After:No

Aversive Stimulus of Game

Escape Contingency

Please do this!!!!

Well I hope you are more intelligent than a rat but there is a difference. For instance when you play in groups and

achieve higher scores than your friends or defeat your friends in a game…

You receive social reinforcement through praise and a boost in pride, self-esteem, etc

SΔ: No

Friends Present

SD:Friends Present

Behavior:Hit Video Controller

100 times in 60 seconds

(high score)After:

NoSocial

Reinforcers

After:

Social Reinforcers

Before:No

Social Reinforcers

This is Reinforcement-BasedDiscrimination

Also the Premack Principle states that when one activity is more frequent

than another activity. The opportunity to do the more frequent activity, will

reinforce the less frequent activity

Also the Premack Principle states that when one activity is more frequent

than another activity. The opportunity to do the more frequent activity, will

reinforce the less frequent activity

Beat Tough Opponent Easy Opponent Follows

No Tough Opponent No Easy Opponent

Pair Matching-Premack Principle

For example, you fight and defeat a difficult opponent because you know the next opponent

is easy.

Jeez Super Ratman go save the world with behavior analysis or something, I want to talk too! Generalized Reinforcers are learned reinforcers that are

paired with a variety of other reinforcers

Jeez Super Ratman go save the world with behavior analysis or something, I want to talk too! Generalized Reinforcers are learned reinforcers that are

paired with a variety of other reinforcers

When you play a video game, you are awarded tokens, moneys and skills for other levels of the

game

Jeez Super Ratman go save the world with behavior analysis or something, I want to talk too! Generalized Reinforcers are learned reinforcers that are

paired with a variety of other reinforcers

When you play a video game, you are awarded tokens, moneys and skills for other levels of the

game

Win Money Fast Car

Don’t Win Money No fast Car

Pairing ProcedureWhen you are playing a racing game, you earn money for winning races and eventually you can

buy a better car. This reinforces playing the game because you have faster race times (of course this

all occurs within 60 seconds)

Also you can avoid certain levels with generalized reinforcers

Also you can avoid certain levels with generalized reinforcers

For example, if you press the controller 25 times in 30 seconds in a level you receive 10 tokens.

You can can use these 10 tokens to skip the next level

Also you can avoid certain levels with generalized reinforcers

For example, if you press the controller 25 times in 30 seconds in a level you receive 10 tokens.

You can can use these 10 tokens to skip the next level

Before:Won’t have

tokens soon

Behavior: press

button 25 times

After: Will have

tokens soon

Avoidance Contingency

So therefore I conclude that video games are just a

Skinner box experiment

So therefore I conclude that video games are just a

Skinner box experiment

I concur Dr. Dicky

So therefore I conclude that video games are just a

Skinner box experiment

I concur Dr. Dicky

Argh I’m indeed just a rat in a cage!

THE END! QUESTIONS, COMMENTS?