Skinners Theory (Operant Conditioning)

Skinners Theory (Operant Conditioning)

1. "It is simply more productive to study observable behaviour rather than internal mental events."

   • Skinner identified three types of responses or operant that can follow a beahaviour.
     • Positive reinforcement
       • Encourages the behaviour to be repeated, you're rewarding them because of a behaviour they have done. e.g. A study using psychiatric patients were given tokens when a desired behaviour was displaced, this meant they could trade them in for something they enjoy e.g. chocolate. This strengthened behaviour.
     • Negative reinforcement
       • Again, encourages the behaviour to be repeated, this time however, negative reinforcement takes away a bad feeling, for example, if a baby is hungry the baby will cry, this means the mother will give the baby food, the baby is satisfied as the feeling of hunger is taken away. So, the baby will cry when they are hungry as they will get fed.
     • Punishment
       • These won't encourage behaviour, it will in fact lead to the behaviour not being acted.

2. Animal studies:

   • "The father of operant conditioning" Skinner 1948. Studies operant conditioning by conducting experiments using rats which he placed in a skinner box. He made the rats press a lever when they crossed a certain line in the box, once they had they would be rewarded with food. If they didn't they would be shocked. He then manipulated what the rat had to do, he then made the rat press a lever whenever the rat did they again received food. This shows when the rat was given positive reinforcement, behaviour was reinforced, but when punished the behaviour was no longer present.