Operant Conditioning Paper Psy 390
Operant Conditioning Paper
PSY 390
November 11, 2013
Operant Conditioning “Operant conditioning is a theory of learning that generally follows “Thorndyke’s Law of Effect”. This law states that behaviors that are positively reinforced will become more likely to occur and behaviors that are negatively reinforced will become less likely to occur.” (Johnson, D. 1999). Skinner referred to operant conditioning as being the way animals learn. In general there are four things that change behaviors: positive reinforcement, negative punishment, positive punishment and negative reinforcement.
Compare and Contrast Positive and Negative Reinforcement Positive reinforcement is after a behavior occurs something is added to the environment causing the behavior to occur. An example of positive reinforcement is when one asks a dog to sit and the dog obeys the owner gives the dog a treat. The dog will be more likely to repeat the command next time he is asked because of the positive reinforcement. …show more content…
Negative reinforcement has two different types:
1. Avoidance: With avoidance the risk of the negative reinforcement is taken away making it more likely a behavior will take place. An example of avoidance would be when a parent asks a child to wash the dishes and she does it to prevent being grounded.
2. Escape: With escape the negative reinforcement is presented over and over and then it is stopped when the desired behavior occurs. An example of escape would be training a dog to walk on a leash and she is resisting and the owner continually gives small tugs on the leash every time the dog resists. When the dog starts to walk next to her owner in a calm ways the owner stops tugging on the leash and lets the dog walk with a relaxed leash.
What Form of Reinforcement is the Most
PSY 390
November 11, 2013
Operant Conditioning “Operant conditioning is a theory of learning that generally follows “Thorndyke’s Law of Effect”. This law states that behaviors that are positively reinforced will become more likely to occur and behaviors that are negatively reinforced will become less likely to occur.” (Johnson, D. 1999). Skinner referred to operant conditioning as being the way animals learn. In general there are four things that change behaviors: positive reinforcement, negative punishment, positive punishment and negative reinforcement.
Compare and Contrast Positive and Negative Reinforcement Positive reinforcement is after a behavior occurs something is added to the environment causing the behavior to occur. An example of positive reinforcement is when one asks a dog to sit and the dog obeys the owner gives the dog a treat. The dog will be more likely to repeat the command next time he is asked because of the positive reinforcement. …show more content…
Negative reinforcement has two different types:
1. Avoidance: With avoidance the risk of the negative reinforcement is taken away making it more likely a behavior will take place. An example of avoidance would be when a parent asks a child to wash the dishes and she does it to prevent being grounded.
2. Escape: With escape the negative reinforcement is presented over and over and then it is stopped when the desired behavior occurs. An example of escape would be training a dog to walk on a leash and she is resisting and the owner continually gives small tugs on the leash every time the dog resists. When the dog starts to walk next to her owner in a calm ways the owner stops tugging on the leash and lets the dog walk with a relaxed leash.
What Form of Reinforcement is the Most