Jim has paired the sound of his computer rebooting with the action of offering Dwight an altoid. Positive reinforcement was demonstrated, because every time Dwight heard the sound, he was always offered an altoid. (He was given something he liked.) But it looks like the beginning stages of extinction are happening at the end of the clip, because, for the first time, Jim does not offer Dwight an altoid. Dwight had become so used to the offering that he automatically stuck his hand out for an altoid, and when questioned by Jim, said his mouth tasted bad. (very similar to the dogs creating saliva every time the bell rang)
I think that paired associations are used quite a bit in music...for interval training, when we are being taught how to identify a certain interval, usually we are given popular examples. Honestly, these examples are the only way I have learned the intervals...for example, think of the NBC chimes that play whenever the logo is shown on TV (three notes)...the interval between the first and second note is a major 6th. And, though it is a bit different than the examples given in the book, every time I hear that jingle (or any other jingle we used as an example in class) I automatically think "minor 3rd" or whatever the interval is. It's a great way to learn, because now I'm not only practicing in the classroom, but I'm practicing all the time.
Nice that you predicted what would happen after the clip (extinction)!
ReplyDeleteThe kinds of cues you talk about CAN be very helpful in teaching recognition of something. So, when you hear that sound, you remember your instruction of intervals. You can use these kinds of cues in a classroom. Another explanation of this is constructivist--that your teacher related the interval sound to your past experience, and so you build that connection every time you hear it in your real life.