Individual Programmatic Assessment: Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning
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Introduction
Based on his experiments with pigeons and rats, B. F. Skinner developed various fundamental theories of learning. His experiments enabled him to explain how human beings change established behaviors or learn behaviors. Skinner believed that several behaviors are shaped by the nature of reinforcement existing in a person’s environment. He identified this process as operant conditioning. He used the concept “operant” to mean any active behaviors, which operate on the environment to develop consequences. This explains how humans acquire various learned behaviors they experience daily. Skinner created two significant principles, which related to operant conditioning. The first principle is that the response, which occurs as a result of a reinforcing stimulus, will probably be repeated. The other principle is that any action that increases the tendency of response in the operant is identified as a reinforcing stimulus. The consequences are what maintain operant behaviors because the learner benefits from such an environment. According to Olson and Hergenhahn (2013), Skinner’s theories and principles are widely applied in childrearing, psychology, and science disciplines. His discoveries are continued to be used, and this justify their effectiveness and applicability in daily life including in addressing extreme problematic maladaptive behaviors.
Theory of operant conditioning
This is a technique of learning which happens through punishments and rewards for behaviors. Through operant conditioning, a relationship is developed between a behavior and the effect of such behavior. For instance, whenever a lab rat presses yellow button, he obtains a mild electric shock, but whenever he presses a green button, he obtains a food bits as a reward (Olson and Hergenhahn, 2013). As a consequence, the rat learned to press the green button and learned to avoid pressing the yellow button. Operant conditioning functions is based on a simple principle that “action, which is motivated by reinforcement, will be developed and is more likely to happen again in the future”. On the other hand, actions, which lead to inappropriate consequence or punishment, will become weak and less likely to occur in the future again.
Skinner differentiated between operant behaviors and respondent behaviors (Nevid, 2012). Respondent behaviors are acts that happen reflexively and automatically; for example, pulling one’s hand from a hot stove. A person does not have learned such behavior; it happens involuntarily. Operant behaviors are those that occur under human conscious control; it is the consequence of such actions, which influence whether or not they will occur in the future again. Human actions act on the environment and their consequences constitute a significant part of the learning process.
Positive and negative reinforcements
Negative and positive reinforcements are tools described in Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning. Nevid (2012) presents that the reinforcement is a tool, which motivates or strengthens the chances of a response to reoccur. Reinforcement is essential both for the operating conditioning and learning process. In negative reinforcement, a behaviors or response is strengthened by avoiding, removing or stopping a negative effect. Aversive stimuli or a negative effect involves certain psychological or physical discomfort behaviors can be negatively reinforced when they allow an individual to escape from negative outcome which are already present or allow the person to avoid the negative outcome before they occur. Negative reinforcement happens when a harmful event is removed following a behavior; such behavior is strengthened or motivated by removing unfavorable event.
Positive reinforcement happens when the consequence which follows behaviors is encouraging or favorable; the favorable outcome strengthens the behavior. For example, a person can be rewarded or praised after behaving in a certain way. Olson and Hergenhahn (2013) explain that whenever ...