Chapter 14
There are several
classic single-n and small-n experiments you could assign. WatsonÕsÒ Little AlbertÓ experiment is available at
http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Watson/emotion.htm
A less
controversialÑand more data-orientedÑ study would be Mary Cover JonesÕ class
ÒInfant Peter studyÓ available at
http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Jones/
You might assign students SkinnerÕs
small-n experiment described on page 481 of Research design explained.
The complete article is online at
http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Skinner/Pigeon/
Students will not
have trouble with the results of SkinnerÕs (1948) study: There are no
statistics. However, the vocabulary may challenge some students. Therefore, you
may want to hand out the glossary below.
Table 1.
Glossary for helping you understand SkinnerÕs (1948) classic article on superstition |
|
Term |
Rough Translation or
Example |
contingent |
dependent |
Mechanical connection |
Example: After you press a
button on a coke machine, the machine gives you a can of coke. |
Mediation of another
organism |
Example: After you ask for
a coke, a friend brings you a coke. |
the temporal relation |
The timing of the
reinforcement |
solenoid |
electrical device |
adaptation |
Getting used to |
the intervening interval |
The time between
reinforcements |
magazine |
a container that holds food |
intervening responses
emitted |
Behaviors produced between
reinforcements |
drift in topography |
Gradual change in the way
the behavior was performed. |
predominant |
main |
tambour |
round stage (like the top
of a snare drum) |
temporal discrimination |
Behaving differently depending
on how much time had passed (after getting the reinforcement) |
elapsed |
passed |
extinction |
Previously reinforced
behavior ending because reinforcement stopped. |
ÔextinctionÕ |
Behavior ending because of
lack of reinforcementÑeven though the original response
was not really reinforced. |
periodic presentation |
In this case, presenting
every 15 seconds |
horizontal |
Flat (indicating no
superstitious behavior) |
positive acceleration |
rapidly increasing |
prevailed |
Was most common, typical |
causal |
Cause-effect (the behavior
triggered the reinforcement) |
suffice |
Are enough |
Induction from |
following from |
Discriminative stimulus |
Cue that, when present, indicates
that a certain response will be rewarded (e.g., a green traffic light means
the driver can go). |
locus |
place |
correlations |
pairings |