Operant conditioning refers to behavioral changes attributable to the consequences of voluntary behavior. There are four types of operant conditioning: two that strengthen behavior and two that weaken behavior. Both positive and negative reinforcement strengthen behavior and the relative effectiveness of each is substantially dependent on the intensity of the reward from the perspective of the test subject.
Operant Conditioning Theory:
Operant conditioning is the process of changing an organism's voluntary behavior through manipulating the external environment in the form of the specific consequences of voluntary behavioral choices (Coleman, Bucher & Carson. 1998; Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008). In principle, operant conditioning consists of four possible types of consequences: (1) positive reinforcement, (2) negative reinforcement, (3) punishment, and (4) extinction (Coleman, Bucher & Carson. 1998; Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008). Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement strengthen behavior; punishment and extinction weaken behavior.
Positive and Negative Reinforcement:
Positive reinforcement refers to positive consequences of behavior that strengthen the behavior through the learned association of consequences that are desirable to the test subject. For example, where animal test subjects are rewarded with food for specific behaviors such as pushing a lever or climbing a ladder, the positive consequence of receiving the food reinforces that behavior (Hockenbury & Hockenbury, 2007).
Conversely, negative reinforcement refers to consequences of behavior that strengthen the behavior through the learned association of consequences that remove or diminish circumstances or stimuli that the subject perceived as negative experiences. In the case of negative reinforcement, the desirable outcome that reinforces the behavior is the removal of negative experiences. Typical examples would include exposing the test subject to an unpleasant experience such as an electrified floor that becomes un-electrified as a consequence of the subject's behavior, such as touching a lever (Hockenbury & Hockenbury, 2007).
Hypothetical Experimental Scenario and Real-Life Application in School:
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