Actually Skinner is (if you wish to be Procrustean) and R-S theorist, since his emphasis was on the behavior->consequence relationship (in context=S, of course).
Hull was an S-R theorist since he conceptualized behavior as reflexes, so his account of chains involved linking fractional S-R reflexes; a much more mechanistic account). In the operant system, a chain is a sequence of behaviors maintained by a (primary) reinforcer. There are differing ways of conceptualizing the role of the stimuli which tie chains together, but the simplest approach is to say that each stimulus in the chain is a conditioned reinforcer for the behavior which preceded it and a discriminative (occasioning) stimulus for the one that follows it. There are competing accounts which emphasize either the fact that each stimulus makes the final reinforcer more likely (and thus acquires reinforcing functions) or that each stimulus is associated with the final reinforcer in the chain. I'd recommend a reading of Charlie Catania's LEARNING text. Paul Brandon Emeritus Professor of Psychology Minnesota State University, Mankato [email protected] On Jul 25, 2010, at 10:34 AM, michael sylvester wrote: > > > Paul: I appreciate your meticulous analysis re bar press and maze > running.However I have a question.It is my understanding that in a behavior > chain it is the behavior that immediately precedes the delivery of the > reinforcer that is reinforced,for example if a behavior change consists of > A,B,C,D,E then it is E that is reinforced,right? > The other behaviors could be anticipatory or as Hull would put it > "fractional anticipatory antedating responses "but I do not tat this schema > fits in within the Skinnerian paradigm.After all Skinner is strictly S-R > psychology and not S-O-R.Where are the reinforcers for > behaviors A,B,C,and D? --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=3807 or send a blank email to leave-3807-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
