OPERANT CONDITIONING

Running Head : OPERANT CONDITIONING

Operant Conditioning

Luis M . Hernandez

University of Phoenix

Operant Conditioning

A child does not steal from the cookie jar to avoid punishment , or an employee doing good because of his manager 's praise , these are everyday manifestations of operant conditioning

Operant conditioning is what B .F . Skinner named the phenomenon of the effects of a behavioral consequence and the future happening of that behavior . Strictly speaking , operant conditioning occurs when consequences are used to facilitate learning . By this type of conditioning , a behavior is

connected to its resulting consequence (Huitt Hummel , 1997 , para . 1

Operant conditioning is very apparent in everyday lives . This will delve into a study of operant conditioning in general , the different types of operant conditioning with a special focus on positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement , and practical applications of operant conditioning

Types of Operant Conditioning Operant conditioning is associated with two general principles (1 ) any response followed by a reinforcing stimulus is likely to be repeated and (2 ) a reinforcing stimulus increases the rate of response (Hergenhahn Olson , 2005 ,

.80

The four classifications of operant conditioning : positive reinforcement , negative reinforcement , punishment and extinction Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement both promote the behavior , while punishment and extinction weaken behavior (Operant Conditioning Basics , 1998 , About section

Aubrey Daniels (cited in Perkinson , 2005 ,

. 32 ) simplifies it further

Positive reinforcement - when one gets what one wants

Negative reinforcement - when one does not get what one does not want

Punishment - when one gets what one does not want

Extinction - when one does not get what one does not want

Positive Reinforcement vs . Negative Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement both strengthen the behavior (Operant Conditioning Basics , 1998 , About section

In positive reinforcement , a particular behavior is encouraged by experiencing a positive condition (Operant Conditioning Basics , 1998 Positive Reinforcement section . For instance if a hungry baby cries his /her mother gives him /her milk . The milk serves as the positive condition for the baby . The next time the baby is hungry , it cries again and gets milk again

In negative reinforcement , instead of a positive condition , a negative condition is added . The subject would try to avoid or prevent the negative condition , which would reinforce a related behavior (Operant Conditioning Basics , 1998 , Negative reinforcement section

For example , a rat receives electric shock in the laboratory . The rat then presses a bar and the shock stops . The rat will press the bar again the next time it receives a shock . The behavior of pressing is reinforced because it takes away the shock (Operant Conditioning Basics , 1998 , Negative reinforcement section

Whether its behavior modification or creation , all four consequences can and should be used appropriately . No single approach will determine success . Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement both encourages the behavior . Ultimately , however , positive reinforcement is a better approach because it creates a situation that allows for self-confidence and ego-boost , without the danger of abuse that is entailed in negative reinforcement . Empirically speaking , positive reinforcement is the least...