The Behaviourist Approach - Operant Conditioning
Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 5.1.4
B. F. Skinner
The American psychologist B. F. Skinner performed some important research in the field of operant conditioning.
B. F. Skinner
- B. F. Skinner (1904–1990) was an American psychologist.
- Skinner was a behaviourist. He concentrated on how behaviour was affected by its consequences.
- He believed that behaviour is motivated by the consequences we receive for the behaviour: the reinforcements and punishments.
Skinner's research device
- As a part of his research, Skinner developed a chamber that allowed the careful study of the principles of modifying behaviour through reinforcement and punishment.
- This device, known as an operant conditioning chamber (or more familiarly, a Skinner box), has remained a crucial resource for researchers studying behaviour.
The Skinner box
- The Skinner box is a chamber that isolates the subject from the external environment and has a behaviour indicator such as a lever or a button.
- When the animal pushes the button or lever, the box is able to deliver:
- A positive reinforcement of the behaviour (such as food).
- A punishment (such as an electric shock).
- A token conditioner (such as a light).
Skinner's approach in wider psychology
- Skinner’s focus on positive and negative reinforcement of learned behaviours had a lasting influence in psychology that slightly declined since the growth of research in cognitive psychology.
- Despite this, conditioned learning is still used in human behavioural modification.
- Skinner’s two controversial science books about the value of operant conditioning for creating happier lives are still thought-provoking arguments for his approach.
Operant Conditioning
In operant conditioning, organisms learn to associate a behaviour and its consequence. Operant conditioning looks at the interaction between positive and negative reinforcement and punishment.
Specialist terminology
- In discussing operant conditioning, we use several everyday words (positive, negative, reinforcement, and punishment) in a specialised manner.
- In operant conditioning, positive and negative do not mean good and bad. Positive means you are adding something, and negative means you are taking something away.
Reinforcement and punishment
- Reinforcement means you are increasing a behaviour, and punishment means you are decreasing a behaviour. Either can be positive or negative.
- All reinforcers (positive or negative) increase the likelihood of a behavioural response.
- All punishers (positive or negative) decrease the likelihood of a behavioural response.
Examples of positives and negatives
- In positive reinforcement, you add a desirable stimulus to increase a behaviour.
- In negative reinforcement, you remove an undesirable stimulus to increase a behaviour.
- In positive punishment, you add an undesirable stimulus to decrease a behaviour.
- In negative punishment, you remove an aversive stimulus to decrease a behaviour.
Test yourself on The Behaviourist Approach - Operant Conditioning
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