Operant Conditioning Essay

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Operant Conditioning Project Nancy Cook Kaplan University PS124 Professor Albert Scherry January 1, 2012 Positive punishment weakens a response by presenting a typically unpleasant stimulus after the response (Stangor). Positive punishment involves presenting an unfavorable outcome or event following an undesirable behavior. An example of positive punishment would be because you are late for work you speed through a school zone, as a results you get pulled over by a police officer and receive a speeding ticket (Cherry). In an attempt to decrease the behavior from occurring in the future, an operant response is followed by the presentation of an aversive stimulus (speeding ticket). Negative punishment weakens a response by reducing or removing something pleasant (Stangor). Negative punishment occurs when something wanted is taken away as consequences of a certain behavior. Over a period of time this could decrease the frequency of the unwanted behavior. Negative punishment is an attempt to decrease the unwanted behavior from occurring in the future, an operant response is followed by the removal of an appetitive stimulus. An example of negative punishment is when a child talks back to a parent, the child may lose the privilege of watching their favorite television show. Therefore loss of watching television will act as a negative punisher and decrease the child from taking back in the future. Positive reinforcement strengthens a response by presenting something pleasant after the response (Stangor). Positive reinforcement is a behavioral technique in which desired behaviors are increased by rewards, also known as positive reinforcers (Cuncic). Positive reinforcement overtime will lead to an increase in the desired behavior. Unfortunately positive reinforcement is individualized to that specific person receiving it because what reinforces
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