Theory of Operant Conditioning - B F Skinner

Theory of Operant Conditioning - B F Skinner - Educational Psychology (BEd)

1. Theory of Operant Conditioning B.F.Skinner Suresh Babu G Assistant Professor CTE CPAS Paippad , Kottayam

2. Theory of Operant Conditioning Operant conditioning is a process of learning through which organisms learn to repeat behavior that yield positive outcomes or permit them to avoid or escape from negative outcomes. B.F.Skinner formulated this theory of learning in 1930. The theory is called operant conditioning as it is based on certain operations or actions which an organism has to carry out. In this theory Skinner makes a distinction between respo ndent behaviour and operant behaviour . Other names of theory – Instrumental Conditioning, Reward learning

3. According to him there are two types of responses: a) Elicited responses (respondents) : Responses elicited by specific stimuli are called respondents. It is made up of specific stimulus-response connections (S-R connections) called reflexes. b) Emitted response ( operants ) : Response which need not be corrected with any known stimulus, but are emitted by the organism are called operants . Skinner considers an operant as a response (act) that operates on the environment and changes it. Operant Conditioning is the process whereby an operant behaviour is made more frequently by reinforcement.

4. Skinner’s Experiment Skinner made the experiment using skinner box (special apparatus) contain a rat, lever and a food pellet dispenser.

5. Skinner’s Rats: “changing of behavior by the use of reinforcement which is given after the desired Skinner had rats in cages, and they response "received food when the pushed a lever down. Eventually the rats realised that pushing the lever down gave them food so they did it more and more frequently. Skinner added a negative enforcement in the form of an electric grid. This reinforced the behaviour by the rat wanting to make the punishment stop.

6. Skinner gives impotence to operant behaviour , which is more concerned with response (R), than with stimuli(S). He calls it R-type conditioning. He changed the usual S-R formula into an R-S formula. According to him when a desired response is emitted, a reinforcing stimulus is present (R-S) The desirable response is conditioned by constantly reinforcing it. The reinforcement must come after the response has been made, and not before it. If response is not reinforced, it results in the extinction of the operant. Operant conditioning applies to voluntary responses, which an organism performs deliberately, in order to produce a desirable outcome The response emitted by the organism is instrumental in bringing about its re enforcement.

7. Principles of Operant Conditioning Reinforcement :- Behaviour that is positively reinforced will reoccur; intermittent reinforcement is particularly effective S haping:- Information should be presented in small amounts so that responses can be reinforced S timulus generalization :- Reinforcements will generalize across similar stimuli producing secondary conditioning

8. Types of Operant Conditioning There are four types of reinforcement: positive , negative, punishment, and extinction B asic processes in  operant conditioning There are five basic processes in operant conditioning: positive and negative reinforcement strengthen behavior ; punishment, response cost, and extinction weaken behavior .

9. Operant Conditioning Reinforcement Punishment Positive (Stimulus Presented) Negative (Stimulus removed) Positive (Stimulus Presented ) Negative (Stimulus removed ) Behavior Increases Behavior Increases Behavior Decreases Behavior Decreases

10. Reinforcer and Reinforcement Any stimulus whose presentation or removal increases the chance of occurrence of a response is called a reinforcer . The application or removal of a stimulus to increase the strength of a behaviour is called reinforcement. Skinner identified two types of reinforcers – positive and negative.

11. Positive Reinforcement A positive reinforcer is a stimulus which when added to the situation, increases the likelihood of the preceding response ( behaviour ). In positive reinforcement, a pleasant experience is given after the response occurs and this increases the probability that the response w ill occur again. Eg : Food, money etc in educational context praise, reward etc.

12. Negative Reinforcement It is a stimulus which when removed from the situation, increases the likelihood of the desirable behaviour . In negative reinforcement, an unpleasant experience in withdrawn from the situation and this increases the probability of the occurrence of the response. Eg : electric shock, loud noise etc. in education teacher give drill work for student.

13. Negative reinforcement and Punishment

14. Contributions of Skinner in Education He formulated certain laws of behaviour on the basis of his extensive experimental studies. He prepared grounds for the application of laws in human behaviour . Developed Programmed Learning or Programmed instruction.

15. Educational Implications Operant Conditioning The teaching process as well as the learning environment must be so designed as to create minimum frustration and maximum satisfaction to the learner to provide him proper reinforcements for desired learning. For the modification of undesirable behaviour of maladjusted children. The development of personality can be successfully manipulated through operant conditioning.

16. For developing motivation in the students for classroom work, reinforcers like praise, blames, grades etc should be used. Reinforcers should be used periodically so that the possibility of extinction of desired behaviour is reduced. Teacher has to define the task and reinforce the child’s correct response to increase the possibility of its recurrence Learning activities have to be divided into large number of small tasks, and have to be reinforced one by one. Contributed a lot to the development of teaching machines and programmed learning.

17. Limitations of Operant Conditioning Skinner has completely ignored the structural and hereditary factors . The operant reinforcement system fails to account for spontaneity, curiosity and creativity in human beings. Skinner neglects innate endowment. Treated organisms like machine. It does not deal with the depths of mind.

18. Difference Between Classical and Operant Conditioning Classical Conditioning It helps in the learning of elicited response (respondent Behaviour ) S-type conditioning emphasis given to stimulus Conditioned response and the unconditioned response are same Definite connection between stimulus and response Operant Conditioning It helps in the learning of emitted response (operant Behaviour ) R -type conditioning emphasis given to response Conditioned response and the unconditioned response are different Cannot be connected with any known stimulus.

19. Difference Between Classical and Operant Conditioning Classical Conditioning There is a pairing of unconditioned stimulus and conditioned stimulus Controlled by autonomic nervous system in the organism. Focused on S-R bondage Essence of learning is stimulus substitution Stimulus oriented Operant Conditioning There is no pairing of unconditioned stimulus and conditioned stimulus Controlled by central nervous system in the organism. Is concerned with sequences of responses. Essence of learning is response modification Response oriented