Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning

Theory of Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning is a form of associative learning that has to do with the development of new behaviors based on consequences. B.F. Skinner developed the principles of operant conditioning. The research of Edward L. Thorndike influenced Skinner. In 1898, Edward L. Thorndike developed “the law of effect”, when he conducted his study through examining cats' behaviors (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009). In his study, Thorndike came to the conclusion that the association between a stimuli in a certain situation and its response is learning. This relationship between behavior and its consequences is the law of effect.

B.F. Skinner extended this study through his experiment of behavior analysis.

According to the study of Thorndike, the probable behavior consequence can decrease or increase the response possibility. Taking this further, Skinner produced a situation in his experiment in which he brought systematic variations in the condition of stimulus. This caused a dissimilar condition of the environment that affected the possibility of the occurrence of the given behavior. Skinner formed operant conditional behaviors to for the behavior analysis in an experiment (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009). Skinner manipulated the outcomes of the behavior of the organism to determine its effects on the behavior of the organism in the future. Skinner concluded through his experiment that the outcomes 'operate' on the situation, thus, affecting that outcome and the outcomes of the future (Flora, 2004). The response to stimuli “operates” on the environment and thus creates a different response when it affects the environment differently.

Positive Reinforcement and Negative Reinforcement

The relation between responses and the changes produced as the result of those responses is called reinforcement contingency. According to Skinner, the reinforcers are the stimuli that can be made contingent on behaviors for the increasing of the possibility of those behaviors over time. After ...