Essay About Operant Conditioning And Examples Of Operant Conditioning

What Is Operant Conditioning?
Essay Preview: What Is Operant Conditioning?
Report this essay
OPERANT CONDITIONING
What Is Operant Conditioning?
Operant conditioning (sometimes referred to as instrumental conditioning) is a method of
learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. Through operant conditioning,
an association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior.
Operant conditioning was coined by behaviorist B.F. Skinner, which is why you may occasionally
hear it referred to as Skinnerian conditioning. As a behaviorist, Skinner believed that internal
thoughts and motivations could not be used to explain behavior. Instead, he suggested, we should
look only at the external, observable causes of human behavior.
Skinner used the term operant to refer to any “active behavior that operates upon the
environment to generate consequences” (1953). In other words, Skinners theory explained how
we acquire the range of learned behaviors we exhibit each and every day.
Examples of Operant Conditioning
We can find examples of operant conditioning at work all around us. Consider the case of children
completing homework to earn a reward from a parent or teacher, or employees finishing projects
to receive praise or promotions.
In these examples, the promise or possibility of rewards causes an increase in behavior, but
operant conditioning can also be used to decrease a behavior. The removal of an undesirable
outcome or the use of punishment can be used to decrease or prevent undesirable behaviors. For
example, a child may be told they will lose recess privileges if they talk out of turn in class. This
potential for punishment may lead to a decrease in disruptive behaviors.
Components of Operant Conditioning
Some key concepts in operant conditioning:
* A reinforcer is any event that strengthens or increases the behavior it follows. There are
two kinds of reinforcers:
1. Positive reinforcers are favorable events or outcomes that are presented after
the behavior. In situations that reflect positive reinforcement, a response or