Skinner – Operant Conditioning Operant conditioning is a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. Through operant conditioning, an association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior. Operant conditioning was coined by behaviorist Skinner, which is why you may occasionally hear it referred to as Skinnerian conditioning. As a behaviorist, Skinner believed that internal thoughts and motivations could not be used to explain behavior. Instead, he suggested, we should look only at the external, observable causes of human behavior.
Rather the response to a stimulus “operates” on the environment and thus creates a different response when it affects the environment differently. (Hergenhahn & Olson, 2005). The relationship between a response and the consequent changes it produces is known as a reinforcement contingency. Skinner’s work has provided the basis for behavior analysts to understand behavior in terms of reinforcement contingencies. Reinforcers are stimuli which if made contingent on a behavior increase the probability of that behavior over time.
Conditioning is structure of many parts, some of the most important ones been operant conditioning, positive and negative reinforcement, and reinforcement schedule. The few parts of conditioning that are mention are enough to influence a person's behavior. The term or word conditioning is used to describe the actual procedures that modify a desired performance, (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2013). Therefore, operant conditioning is used in behavioral psychology and is a method to learn behavior. Operant conditioning is a concept developed by behaviorist B.F. Skinner.
Instrumental Conditioning Paper Instrumental conditioning sometimes stated as operant conditioning was developed by scientist B.F. Skinner. Instrumental conditioning one of the methods of learning were an individual adapts to the velocity and the manifestation of individual's behavior because of the relationship of the contact of a stimulus (Terry, 2009). Instrumental conditioning is different from the learning method of classical conditioning. Classical conditioning produces changes in behavior by associating a transformation in behavior with a neutral stimulus being frequently matching with a stimulus that triggers a reflexive reaction until the previously neutral stimulus alone can induce a similar reaction (Bernstein, Clarke-Stewart, Penner, Roy, & Wickens, 2000). Whereas in instrumental conditioning, should be modified based on the surrounding and preserved by the significance of the behavior of the individual.
Behaviorist also focus more on how we act rather than our brain and nervous systems, they don’t take mental processes into consideration. Cognitivist, however, study mental processes in an individual by focusing on specific behavior and interpreting those behaviors into mental processes so we can fully understand what we do. Finally, behaviorism deals with the way we behave in different environments. They also believe people pick up their traits from their own experiences. On the other hand, cognitivists believe that by reflecting on our own experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world.
Operant Conditioning Operant conditioning is a technique of learning that happens through positive and negative reinforcements. Sometimes called instrumental conditioning, a correlation is made between a behavior and the reward or consequence that follows the behavior. The reinforcement is a factor in whether same behavior will happen again or not. Burrhus Frederic Skinner, better known as B.F. Skinner is known for his approach or view of operant conditioning. Skinner liked Watson’s ideas regarding human behaviorism.
Motivation is a process that arises from research in physiological or psychological need that activates a behavior or a drive that is aimed at a goal (Byrnes 2009). The corresponding theories arise from research in psychology, identified as four theory areas: need, cognitive, reinforcement, and social learning (ibid.). Need theories states that people behave the way they do because of internal needs they are attempting to fulfill (ibid.). Cognitive theories argue that the ways people think are used to decide their behaviors. Reinforcement theories depend heavily on the effect of law, which argues that people
According to B.F. Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning, is punishment of unwanted behaviors or reinforcement of good behaviors more effective in childrearing? B.F. Skinner believed that it is more productive to study behaviors that can be observed rather than mental thinking, and therefore created his theory of operant conditioning. In 1938 when Skinner coined the term operant conditioning he stated that it means roughly changing behaviors by the use of reinforcement, which is given after the desired response1. Reinforcement is the strengthening of behaviors by either adding to a situation or removing something from a situation. Skinner studied the effects both positive and negative reinforcement had on rats.
Abraham Maslow Summary Abraham Maslow is considered to be the pioneer of the humanism paradigm in psychology. He is best known for creating his notion of hierarchy of needs and self- actualisation and focused on the subjective reality to be the primary guide for human behaviour (Henley, Hergenhahn, 2009). He believed studying individuals is more informative than a group of individual who shares personal traits or social situation in common; therefore he focused studying individuals rather than a collective of individuals (Henley et al, 2009). Furthermore, he emphasised self-discovery that helps to enrich human’s life. Overall, the goal of humanism is to understand the description of human being.
For example, Skinnerian conditioning as a behaviorist, Skinner believed that internal thoughts and motivations could not be used to explain behavior. Instead, he suggested, we should look only at the external, observable causes of human behavior. Skinner used the term operant to refer to any "active behavior that operates upon the environment to generate consequences" (1953). Motivation is a condition that energizes behavior and gives it direction. It is experienced subjectively as a conscious desire For example, the