Observation Study. Thorndike's law of effect and Skinner's box

This section is all about Thorndike's law of effect and Skinner's box. It is here that psychologist suggests that roles of rewards and punishments are correlated to learning and consequently behavior change. This concept has been applied and adopted by some to the spanking of children. But, in the same way, it has not done much for the correctional system? Or has it?

You can pick up the form here or below. Your task is to observe a child in play, and adult at work, or etc. and simply take notes. It's all about the task. What was the reinforcement for the person to complete the task? Positive or negative?

1. Select a child or two to observe in school, home, the mall, or neighborhood.
2. Observe his or her behavior for half an hour. TAKE NOTES!
It has been my experience that you learn more from this exercise if you narrow your topic before you begin. Here are suggested possibilities;
• How do children resolve conflict? When did the learning occur?
• What methods do children use to attract adult attention?
• What rules (if any) do young children play by, and how are these enforced?
• How do the social interactions of popular children differ from unpopular ones?
• How are the children learning?
• Are the adults that they interact with learning?
Please do NOT feel you have to choose one of the topics above, pick any area that is of interest to you.
Some people have a hard time picking a topic and prefer to go observe first and select a topic that strikes them as interesting. For example, you may see one child throw a ferocious temper tantrum and decide to focus on how the other children react.
DO NOT PUT THE CHILD’S NAME IN YOUR NOTES ANYWHERE! One of the most important ethical values a psychologist must have is trustworthiness. CONFIDENTIALITY is crucial to being a good psychologist and it is never too early to learn. Whatever you observe, whatever you learn about a person, no matter what their age, should be kept in strict confidence and only shared with people who have a need to know. Make up a name for the child, use "Child A" or simply a blank.
3. Write up a one to two-page description of your observation. Include:
1. 1 Age(s) or child or children
2. 2 gender
3. 3 Topic — on learning behaviors
4. 4 Location where behavior was observed
5. 5 Description of behavior you observed
6. 6 Your conclusion -- It is perfectly okay to say "This study was a complete failure and I did not learn anything about my topic, but I DID learn —“ Research turns out that way more often than people think.