Operant Conditioning

1. Alexis A. Glenn Operant Conditioning

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4. B.F. SKINNER • B.F. Skinner is a behaviorist and psychologist. • He is regarded as the “Father of Operant Conditioning.” • Operant conditioning : learning that is controlled and results in shaping behavior through the reinforcement of stimulus-response patterns.

5. Edward Thorndike • B. F. Skinner’s theory of Operant Conditioning was based on Thorndike’s “Law of Effect.” • The “Law of effect” states that any behavior that is followed by pleasant consequences is likely to be repeated, and any behavior followed by unpleasant consequences is likely to be stopped.

6. IVAN PAVLOV • Ivan Pavlov is a behaviorist and is famous for his behavioral experiments with dogs. • His theory is called Classic Conditioning and it refers to the natural reflex that occurs in response to a stimulus. • Other behaviorist such as B.F. Skinner studied Pavlov’s work as an example of stimulus response.

7. Skinner conducted experiments using animals which he placed in a “Skinner Box.” • During Skinner’s experiment with rats, he discovered that the rate with which the rat pressed the bar depended not on any preceding stimulus (as Pavlov had insisted), but on what followed the bar presses.

8. Key Points • Skinner believed that people shape their behavior based on rewards or positive reinforcement they receive. • For example: If a behavior is rewarded, that behavior will be repeated. If a response to a particular behavior is negative, the behavior will die out or be extinguished. • Reinforcement is a powerful behavior as opposed to Punishment. • Reinforcementis to increase something with the likelihood that a response will occur. • Punishmentis the opposite of reinforcement. It is designed to weaken or eliminate a response rather than increase it.

10. Classroom Implications with Technology • Many forms of computer-based instruction are based on B.F. Skinner’s theory Operant Conditioning. • For instance when taking an exam or quiz, when the correct answer is given, the program will provide positive feedback. • The program or software will alert the student whether the answer is right or wrong. (An example of this will be shown during the quiz.) • When grading papers, teachers tend to correct incorrect answers and provide feedback of why the answer is wrong.

11. Classroom Implications without Technology • Positive reinforcement and rewards are used in classroom management. • An example would be a Token Reward System. It is an easy way to positively reinforce student’s behavior. • The teacher will purchase tokens or create them and reward the child when he/she is doing a good job or working hard. The student will be able to use his or her tokens to redeem a reward. Rewards may include treats, small toys, extra recess time, or extra computer time. • Students like rewards and will most likely work hard to keep up their good behavior in order to earn future rewards.

12. I think the theory is great for reinforcing positive behavior. When a child is rewarded for doing something well, he or she will most likely continue to work hard and repeat the desired behavior. I believe positive reinforcement is the best method to use in the classroom and is very important when it comes to classroom management. Students should be rewarded and should receive academic praise. Punishment decreases behavior and it is associated with negative behavior. Positive reinforcement empowers students.

13. Instructions: Operant Conditioning Quiz Ms. Glenn Psychology Please complete the quiz. There will be 5 multiple choice/ True or False questions. If you answer the question correctly you will be able to move on. If your answer is incorrect you will be provided feedback and will have the opportunity to go back and correct your answer.

14. What 3 people were associated with Operant Conditioning. • A.) Pavlov, Paivio, and Bandura • B.) Skinner, Pavlov, and Thorndike • C.) Skinner, Bloom, and Piaget • D.) Thorndike, Pavlov, and Bloom

15. Operant conditioning is learning that is controlled and results in shaping behavior through the reinforcement of stimulus-response patterns. • A.) True • B.) False

16. Which statement is true? • A.) If a positive behavior is rewarded, that behavior will be extinguished. If a response to a particular behavior is negative, the behavior will be repeated. • B.) If a positive behavior is rewarded, that behavior will be repeated. If a response to a particular behavior is negative, the behavior be extinguished.

17. What animal did B.F. Skinner experiment with? • A.) a squirrel • B.) a dog • C.) a cat • D.) a rat

18. Punishment is adding something to increase a behavior and Reinforcement is adding something to decrease a behavior. • A.) True • B) False

19. Works Cited [IMAGES retrieved from] • http://www.crystalinks.com/skinner.html (B.F. Skinner) • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Pavlov (Ivan Pavlov) • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Thorndike (Edward Thorndike) • http://www.superiorsilkscreen.com/t-shirts/410-looks-like-someone-had-a-big-bowl-of-smarty-pants.html (Smarty Pants) [TEXTBOOK] • Shelly, G., Gunter, G., & Gunter, R. (2012). Teachers discovering computers: Integrating technology in a connected world. (Seventh Ed. ed.). Bston, MA: Course Technology. [WEBSITES] • McLeod, S. A. (2007). B.F. Skinner | Operant Conditioning - Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html • McLeod, S. A. (2007). Edward Thorndike - Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/edward-thorndike.html • Vargas, J. S.. N.p.. Web. 19 May 2013. Retrieved from http://www.bfskinner.org/BFSkinner/AboutSkinner.html • http://allpsych.com/psychology101/reinforcement.html

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