Alabama Social Studies SS24.P.11b
The Standard
- SS24.P.11
- Describe ways in which organisms learn, including the processes of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning.*
Explain the law of effect, and differentiate between reinforcement and punishment, positive and negative reinforcement, and various schedules of reinforcement.
2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies · Cognitive Psychology
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students explain why satisfying results make a behavior more likely and unpleasant results make it less likely. They distinguish reinforcement from punishment, and added consequences from removed ones. They identify reward schedules by time or response count, and by fixed or changing patterns.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given four reward plans, students label each fixed ratio, variable ratio, fixed interval, or variable interval. They explain why buckling a seat belt to stop a beep can reinforce buckling up rather than punish it.
Common Misconceptions
- Students often call negative reinforcement punishment because both can involve something unpleasant. They may think positive and negative mean good and bad, rather than added and removed. Some confuse a set number of responses with a set amount of time.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Label a sticker after every third correct answer and a sticker for the first correct answer after an unpredictable wait. Then label buckling up to silence a beep, and predict whether buckling up increases.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Have pairs choose red or blue cards for 12 rounds, give a token for each red choice, and tally how their choices change.
Write two sentences explaining why buckling a seat belt to stop a beep is negative reinforcement, not punishment.
Hand groups cards about earning stickers, losing phone time, stopping beeps, and getting extra chores; sort each by addition, removal, and behavior change.
Ask students to label a free drink every tenth purchase and a surprise discount after an unpredictable number of purchases.
Free download
Printable SS24.P.11b Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to SS24.P.11b, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
Download the worksheetKeep exploring
Related Standards
- SS24.S.6b
Trace how society has reacted to deviant behaviors throughout history and explain the theoretical principles of punishment, including retributive, rehabilitativ...
- SS24.P.11
Describe ways in which organisms learn, including the processes of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning.*
- SS24.P.11a
Identify and describe unconditioned stimuli, conditioned stimuli, unconditioned responses, and conditioned responses.
- SS24.P.5b
Explain the effect of neurotransmitters on human behavior and compare the effects of drugs and toxins on the brain.
Turn this exact standard into a lesson
Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.
Also for this standard:Make a WorksheetMake a QuizMake a Sub Lesson