Operant Conditioning: The Role Of Reinforcement In The Classroom

B.F. Skinners theory of operant conditioning is probably the most commonly used theory in practice in early years settings. Skinner suggested that people draw conclusions based on the consequences of their behaviour when exploring the environment. He divided the consequences into three areas. The first area being positive reinforcers where people are likely to get something they desire if they repeat a certain behaviour. He suggested that this was the most effective way to encourage new learning. This can be seen in early years settings where by children are rewarded for good behaviour this lots of praise, attention, stickers or treats. This will help children to carry on showing good behaviour until such a time when it is learned. Second is negative reinforcers which are used to stop something from happening but the behaviour is also likely to repeated. Just like when a child is going down a slide but doesn’t like going fast so they use their hands on the sides to slow themselves down. The third is punishers, which is a behaviour that you learn to stop doing e.g. if you receive a shock from an electric fence then you learn to stay away from it.

Operant conditioning is the effects punishment and reinforcement have on behavior; “the law of effect, which states that behaviors associated with good consequences (satisfiers) are more likely to occur again in the future, whereas behaviors associated with bad consequences (annoyers) are less likely to occur again” (Durwin 162). This is a necessary component used by many psychologists and educators to provide the best positive outcome in a child’s behavior. When analyzing the “Billy Scenario,” it is obvious that the teacher, Ms. Allen, tried different techniques of punishment to decrease the students’ misbehavior, but was unsuccessful; leading to an increase in the frequency of response or more disruptive behavior.

Skinner’s reinforcement experiments conducted on rats showed the principles of operant conditioning. While working with rats, Skinner would place them in a Skinner box with a lever attached to a feeding tube. After multiple trials, rats learned the connection between the lever and food, and started to spend more time in the box procuring food than performing any other action. He used positive reinforcement, and negative reinforcement to produce or inhibit specific target behaviors. Therefore, if a specific behavior is reinforced then the probability of that behavior occurring again is increased. Based on Skinner’s view, this theory can be applied to learning because learning is nothing more than a change in behavior. Operant conditioning encourages positive reinforcement, which can be applied in the classroom environment to get the good behavior you want and need from students. One of the ways of reinforcing a student’s behavior is through praise. Also teachers can build operant conditioning techniques into their lesson plans to teach children possible skills as well as good behaviors. For example: to give a smiley face, or motivational stamps to encourage children to perform correctly and encourage them to repeat such action again.

Mr. Higginbotham uses the idea of operant conditioning and continuous reinforcement throughout his classroom. Operant conditioning is the behavior in which voluntary behavior are strengthened or weakened by consequences, while continuous reinforcement deals with giving a reinforcer after every response. These reinforcers can be either positive or negative, strengthening or weakening the behavior that occurred. Positive reinforcements are there to increase the opportunity of a specific behavior reoccurring and negative reinforcement is strengthening behavior that results in a negative action. (Woolfolk, 2014, pgs. 277-278). An example in Mr. Higginbotham’s class of positive reinforcement would be during the point in time when he decides to announce that his progress checks can each be earned towards bonus points on their project and once ten complete progress checks have occurred the children can also receive a homework pass. Another positive reinforcement is the three highest scoring students will receive twenty-five dollars to their class trip fund for their senior year. A negative reinforcement is demonstrated in Mr. Higginbotham’s class when Susan shows disrespectful behavior and earns four detentions. These four detentions equal a day of indoor, in-school suspension. So even when students do not want to do their homework the progress report check will help the students work towards that one homework pass. Both positive and negative reinforcement as continuous

Operant conditioning refers to the method of learning to occur through rewards and punishment for behavior (Staddon & Cerutti 2002). In the operant condition, an association occurs between the behavior and the consequences of the behavior. Behaviorist B.F Skinner coined operant conditioning, and that is why some refer to it as Skinnerian conditioning. Skinner started studying operant conditioning in the late 1920s when he was a graduate student at Harvard University. As a behaviorist B.F Skinner believes that it was obligatory to look at the internal thoughts and motivation so as to explain behavior (Staddon & Cerutti 2002). As an alternative, he did suggest that we should look only at the external and observable causes of human behavior. The characteristics of operant conditioning are that an organism may emit a particular response instead of just eliciting the response because of the external stimulus. Skinner did use the term operant in referring to any active behavior that operates on the environment so as to generate consequences (Doyle-Portillo & Pastorino 2013).

satisfaction at a completed task. These reinforcers can be social i.e. the teacher praises the child or material such as a sticker for good work.

Skinner believed that behaviour is shaped and maintained by a reinforcing stimulus and that schedules of reinforcement are important factors in the learning process. There are many situations in the classroom where a behaviourist approach is likely to work well. For example, when I teach, I have started to pick out students who are making the right choices throughout the lesson. I call attention to the student who is doing the right thing and use verbal praise, which is quite an effective way to let other students realise what the expected learning behaviour is. The Year 6 students in the class are aware of the school’s reward system; ten credits lead to one merit, which is recorded in their merit book. They are also aware that bad behaviour in the class or on the playground will be followed by negative consequences. To warn against unwanted behaviour, I have seen teachers use negative reinforcers such as verbal warnings, timeouts and losing privileges.

Operant conditioning has made a significant contribution into the development of psychology. However, as with most psychological theories, this theory it has its strengths and weaknesses. Nevertheless, operant conditioning, with both its positive and negative aspects, is very important in promoting learning of desirable behaviors or removal of undesirable

Operant conditioning is a technique that a behavior can be altered by reward and consequence. A therapist treating a six-year-old child for displaying aggressive behavior at school may choose one of three techniques of therapy. First option is the token economy technique, rewarding the patient to increase the positive behaviors with a reward. For our six year old, the therapist may choose to implement a system for every good day he or she has at school they will get a prize. This is conditioning the child to focus on his good behavior, resulting in less aggressive behavior. The therapist may choose the similar technique, contingency management. With this technique, the therapist will still require the six-year-old to earn a reward for his ongoing

The positive reinforcement, that makes up operant conditioning, is the student doing their homework. Because of this they get a rewarding stimulus. The act of the rewarding stimulus should increase their desire to continue the behavior. (Figure 6.12 “Operant conditioning is about positive reinforcement”) The better they do the more this process is used therefore they get more rewards.

Primary reinforcers are biological needs that can keep us alive during survival mode. Our basic instincts is to drink water, eat food and clothe ourselves during winter. Primary reinforcers come naturally and do not need to be learned. Food is the most popular examples because we are biologically responsive to it as humans.

Although, as a child, observational learning and classical learning played roles in the way I am today; operant learning has really impacted me the most. operant learning is when reinforcements are used to either decrease or increase the probability of a behavior occurring again. Reinforcements is anything that increases or decreases the likelihood of something to happen. There are two different types of reinforcers; positive and negative. Positive reinforcement is when a rewarding stimulus is added, and a negative reinforcement is when an aversive stimulus is removed. When I was little I was always rewarded with money whenever I did a good deed, or got good grade. This is an example of positive reinforcement because getting

It occurs when the behavior or response produces a new stimulus. A positive reinforcement could be extra recess time or if a student achieves higher on 2 out of the three exams the last exam would not need to be taken. Doctor Meyerson enforces this approach in his classroom and it gives his students something to strive for. Woolfolk, states that research has shown that the operant behavior can be altered by changes within the antecedents, the consequences or both. This would include a reward system based upon the teacher 's position as stated above with Doctor Meyerson 's award system. However, we also have Negative reinforcers. This reinforcer is undesired by the child, but it is needed to maintain authority within the classroom. According to Woolfolk, if a consequence is prevailed this will determine to a great extent if the student will repeat the behavior that led to that consequence. This is why we have reinforcers. Reinforcers strengthen the consequence in which it follows. A negative reinforcer would be something that would be take away from the student, (recess) until that behavior is considered appropriate by the adult.

I agree with the concept of reinforcement. This concept is found on page 297 (9th Edition). There are two types of reinforcements, positive and negative. A reinforcer is a response that follows a behavior to increase that behavior. Growing up, my parents gave me an allowance for completing chores around the house. This reinforced me to always complete my chores on time so that I could get my allowance.

Reinforcement has to be delivered immediately. Individuals should know the moment when they should expect reinforcement. The individuals offering verbal reinforcement should not wait to the end of the week in order to reinforce someone else for doing something like remaining in their seats for the full duration of the classes during the week. The effect of positive verbal reinforcement is normally diluted, if not lost when we take long periods of time to deliver the verbal reinforcements. If giving verbal reinforcement immediately is not possible, it should be given as soon as the circumstances allow it. When delivered this way, the relationship between verbal reinforcement and behavior will be maintained and strengthened.