PSY_405_W5_DQ

Running head : BEHAVIORAL CONDITIONING

Behavioral Conditioning

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Behavioral Conditioning

B . F . Skinner is considered one of the most important psychologists and behavior theorist of all time . He developed the study of conditioning behavior in both animals and humans , and pioneered operant conditioning Skinner recognized the occurrence of two kinds of conditioning classical and operant . In classical conditioning , behavior is elicited or is drawn out from the subject by the use of a particular identifiable stimulus (Feist Feist , 2007 . Reflexes are examples of this

, as well as trained phobias . A child can be trained to show fear by making loud noises whenever he or she is placed near a shiny , scaly object . This would eventually train him to fear reptiles

Skinner 's operant conditioning stems from his belief that learned behaviors , those beyond automatic reflexes , can be emitted by humans as a reaction to their environment (Feist Feist , 2007 . By positively or negatively reinforcing certain stimuli , a person can learn to automatically act or react by oneself . Positive reinforcement is the presentation or increase of positive stimuli when a person reacts to his or her environment in the desired manner . On the other hand , a negative reinforcement is the taking away or decrease of an aversive stimulus as a reward for reacting to one 's environment desirably (Feist Feist 2007 . Negative reinforcement is not punishment . Negative reinforcement is a reward in that it removes what the subject perceives to be a harmful stimulus , while punishment is the presentation...