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Learning : an exercise on operant conditioning

Learning is a broad field in psychology . One of the many aspects of learning that is often studied by and taught to psychology students is the different conditioning mechanisms that are behind it . One of the best-known mechanisms behind learning is operant conditioning . This was a term coined by B .F . Skinner as a means of setting apart the types of behavior he wanted to study from that of the Pavlovians , those studying classical conditioning . Skinner directed operant conditioning towards operant behavior , behavior that was affected

by consequences (Staddon Cerutti , 2003 ) According to Kovar , Ermler Mehrhof (1992 , operant conditioning posits that the majority of human behaviors occur in response to external stimuli (p .26 ) This is why operant conditioning basically focuses on principles such as reinforcement , reward and punishment and on the roles these play on an individual 's ability to learn (Coon Mitterer , 2006

However , there are many psychologists and critics of operant conditioning who say that the concepts proposed by Skinner , such as the term operant conditioning ' itself , are in fact recycled . Terms such as instrumental learning and habit pre-date that of operant and operant conditioning and are actually similar in definition . There are those that insist that the greatest contribution Skinner gave was the concept of reinforcement schedules (Staddon Cerutti , 2003 ) Reinforcement schedules are methods that employ a reinforcer on an individual based on a certain pre-defined rule . This rule usually involves either time or ratio . In time-based schedules , the reinforce can be delivered either through a fixed time schedule or through a variable time schedule

This describes my efforts at applying operant conditioning on a friend wanting to change her study behavior . Two specific operant conditioning principles will be used : reward and variable interval reinforcement schedule . Reward refers to something that increases the frequency of occurrence of a given behavior upon its presentation (Coon Mitterer , 2006 ) A variable interval reinforcement schedule , on the other hand , refers to a reinforcement schedule that applies the reinforce or reward upon the first performance of the behavior after a randomly set length of time has elapsed since the last performance of the same behavior (Staddon Cerutti , 2003 ) It is the variable interval reinforcement schedule that allows for moderate but consistent responses in an individual (Coon Mitterer , 2006 ) It is , therefore , the more ideal reinforcement schedule for sustained behavioral change over a long period of time as compared to the other contingency schedules available .Reinforcement schedules in practice

One of my friends has been complaining about not having a disciplined study schedule . In to remedy this , we both decided to use operant conditioning as a learning mechanism . The target behavior was studying The goal was to increase the length of time she spent studying every day . In to increase the frequency at which she would perform this behavior , I would deliver a reward . The reward agreed upon was a slip of that acted as money . Five slips of earned a...