Behaviorism falls into two categories, classical conditioning, and operant conditioning. Behavior is changed through a stimulus in the former, while in the latter, behavior can be changed by consequences.
Each of us has reactions to certain stimuli, both in our environment and internally within us, that are imprinted and can be triggered without conscious thought or effort. Many of these are learned behavioral patterns that we have imprinted. We call this “operant conditioning” an important part of our psychology.
Operant conditioning is the brainchild of B.F. Skinner believed the only way to change behavior permanently was to reward it. The reward is what makes us do something again and again. This is how we shape our actions and learn new things. In this post, I’ll help you understand it better.
The Basics of Operant Conditioning
Simply put, it is a type of learning in which an animal or person learns to associate certain behaviors with positive or negative outcomes. If a behavior leads to a reward, it will be repeated, while the opposite is true if it leads to punishment.
In operant conditioning, rewards are reinforcements, and punishments are punishers. Reinforcers tend to strengthen behaviors that precede them, while punishers tend to weaken behaviors that precede them.
The simple process of operant conditioning involves three steps:
- Presentation of positive/negative reinforcement, either positive reinforcer (something good happens) or negative reinforcer (something bad happens)
- Performance of target behavior (the behavior you want to strengthen)
- The response is followed by positive/negative reinforcement
Key Principles of Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning focuses on behaviors that result in positive consequences and eliminating behaviors that result in negative consequences. This type of conditioning involves learning by association.
The basic principles of operant conditioning are:
The more an individual repeats behavior that leads to good outcomes, the more likely the behavior will be repeated. The less an individual repeats behavior that leads to bad outcomes, the less likely the behavior will be repeated.
Rewards increase the likelihood of behavior repetition; punishments decrease it.
The rate of response directly affects how quickly an association between an action and a consequence is learned. The faster an action occurs after a consequence is delivered, its association with that consequence will be learned.
To be specific, here are the basic principles of operant conditioning that you should know:
1. Reinforcement
The reinforcing stimulus is often called a reinforcer. There are two types of reinforcement: positive and negative.
Positive reinforcement strengthens a behavior by providing something rewarding or pleasant after the desired response occurs. It is also called reward conditioning or simply positive punishment. Positive reinforcement includes praise, tokens, and smiles from our parents, encouraging words from our teachers, medals for winning races, etc.
Negative reinforcement strengthens a behavior by removing an unpleasant stimulus after the desired response occurs. It is also called escape conditioning or negative punishment. For instance, if a child does their dishes to avoid being told off, they’re more likely to do the dishes in the future.
2. Punishment
Punishment is the presentation of an adverse stimulus following a behavior, which decreases the future probability of that behavior. The punishing stimulus may be aversive and unpleasant or delivered more mildly to simply alert the subject that they have performed an undesired action.
There are two types of punishment:
Positive punishment is the addition of something that causes an increase in the frequency or intensity of behavior. For example, suppose a child misbehaves in school, and his parents cancel his monthly allowance. In that case, this is positive punishment because it adds an extra consequence (no allowance) for misbehavior.
Negative punishment is the removal of something that causes a decrease in the frequency or intensity of behavior. For example, if a child bites his younger brother and his parents take away his toy car for one week, this is negative punishment because it removes something positive (his toy car) for misbehavior.
Examples of Operant Conditioning in Real-Life
Operant conditioning is used in many areas of life. Here are some examples:
- A student completes their homework daily because they know they will be rewarded with a candy (action) or praise (behavior).
- A child may learn to clean their room regularly because they will be rewarded with extra TV hours every time they clean up.
- Operant conditioning principles can influence employee performance in the workplace. Offering bonuses or other incentives for meeting specific goals can encourage employees to work harder and improve their productivity.
- Animals can learn specific behaviors through “shaping,” which involves rewarding successive approximations of the desired goal. One common example is training dogs to sit or lie down using treats or praise as reinforcement.
Operant Conditioning and the Skinner Box
B.F. Skinner is considered one of the pioneers of modern behaviorism and a key proponent of operant conditioning. Skinner’s most famous experiments involved the development of the “Skinner Box” (also known as the operant conditioning chamber).
The Skinner Box is a controlled environment used to study animal behavior, typically for rats or pigeons, in which stimuli and reinforcements could be controlled and modified. Through these experiments, Skinner studied how reinforcements and punishments could shape animal behavior.
In the Skinner Box experiments, an animal would be placed in a lever or button chamber. When the animal pressed the lever or pecked the button, reinforcement or punishment would be given, depending on the experimental design. Reinforcements could be food or water, while punishments could be an aversive stimulus, such as a loud noise or a mild electric shock.
For example, in an experiment with rats, Skinner placed them in a chamber and provided a food pellet whenever they pressed a lever. Over time, rats learned to associate pressing the lever with receiving food, thus increasing the frequency of lever-pressing behavior. This is an example of positive reinforcement in Operant Conditioning.
Skinner’s groundbreaking research played a crucial role in developing and popularizing operant conditioning. The Skinner Box allowed for systematic and controlled observations of how animals learn and modify their behavior based on the consequences of their actions. This, in turn, provided a better understanding of learning and behavioral modification that could be applied beyond animal subjects.
Skinner’s work has had lasting implications in various fields, including education, psychology, and behavior therapy. His research has been used in educational settings to develop teaching methods that incorporate reinforcement and punishment principles and behavioral therapy to help individuals overcome undesired habits or develop positive behaviors.
Classical Conditioning Vs. Operant Conditioning
Classical conditioning and operant conditioning are key principles in behavioral psychology, but they function in distinctly different ways.
In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus or CS) is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (US) that naturally elicits a response. After repeated pairings, the conditioned stimulus starts evoking a response similar to the unconditioned stimulus.
The response that is evoked is called the conditioned response (CR). Your example of Pavlov’s dogs is accurate, where the bell (CS) became associated with food (US), and the bell alone elicited salivation (conditioned response) in the dogs.
In operant conditioning, behavior is modified by its consequences, which can be reinforcement or punishment. Reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again, while punishment decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again.
Both types of conditioning involve stimuli and responses. The difference lies in the relationship between stimuli and responses:
– In classical conditioning, the learner associates two stimuli (CS and US) to produce a response (CR).
– In operant conditioning, the learner forms an association between a behavior and its consequences (reinforcement or punishment).
Behaviorism: The Straightest Road to Success
The theory of operant conditioning revolves around the belief that behaviors are shaped by the consequences they produce. The best way to change a behavior is to associate it with a positive consequence. The good news is that understanding how this works can improve your ability to keep your emotions under control and in balance.
Try encouraging yourself when you should be discouraged, comfort yourself when you’re feeling stressed and upset, or praise yourself when you accomplish something that makes you proud. Rewarding yourself with something simple will encourage more of the same behavior in the future!
FAQs
What Is Operant Conditioning?
Operant conditioning is a learning process where an individual’s voluntary behavior is influenced and modified by its consequences, such as rewards (reinforcement) and punishments.
What Is the Main Idea of Operant Conditioning?
The main idea of operant conditioning is to change or shape voluntary behaviors through reinforcement (rewards) and punishment based on the consequences of those behaviors.
What Is the Difference Between Classical and Operant Conditioning?
Classical conditioning involves creating associations between two stimuli, focusing on reflexive, involuntary responses, while operant conditioning is about modifying voluntary behaviors based on the consequences (reinforcements or punishments) that follow them.
Who Created Operant Conditioning?
B.F. Skinner developed operant conditioning: Skinner, an influential American psychologist and behaviorist.
What Are Two Ways to Decrease a Behavior or Response, According to Operant Conditioning Principles?
According to operant conditioning principles, two ways to decrease a behavior are: (a) through punishment, presenting an aversive stimulus following an undesired behavior, and (b) through extinction, which involves withholding or removing reinforcement following the undesired behavior.
What Is an Example of Operant Conditioning?
An example of operant conditioning is a student being rewarded with praise or a small prize for completing their homework, leading to an increase in the frequency of homework completion.
What Is Shaping in Operant Conditioning?
Shaping in operant conditioning is a process where new, complex behaviors are learned through the reinforcement of successive approximations of the desired behavior. It is often used in animal training and other situations requiring gradual behavior modification.
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