Behaviourist Approach - Operant Conditioning

What is operant conditioning?

Form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences.

What is positive reinforcement?

Receiving a reward when a behaviour is performed, increasing the likelihood of repetition.

What is negative reinforcement?

Removal or avoidance of something unpleasant, increasing the likelihood of behaviour being repeated.

What is punishment in operant conditioning?

An unpleasant consequence of behaviour that decreases the likelihood of it being repeated.

Who studied operant conditioning using rats?

B.F. Skinner (1938).

What is a Skinner Box?

A controlled environment containing a lever, lights, loudspeaker, and food dispenser used to study behaviour in animals.

How did Skinner demonstrate positive reinforcement?

When rats pressed the lever, they received food, increasing lever-pressing behaviour.

How did Skinner demonstrate negative reinforcement?

When rats pressed the lever, it stopped an electric shock, increasing lever-pressing behaviour.

What determines whether behaviour is repeated or not?

The consequence of the behaviour.

What is one strength of operant conditioning related to methodology?

It has scientific credibility – based on controlled lab experiments, objective and replicable.

What is one strength of operant conditioning related to application?

It has real-life applications – principles used in token economies and behaviour modification.

What is one limitation of operant conditioning related to research method?

It relies on animal research – raising ethical issues and limiting generalisation to humans.

What is one limitation of operant conditioning related to determinism?

It is environmentally deterministic – behaviour is seen as shaped entirely by past experiences and reinforcement history.

What is one limitation of operant conditioning related to mental processes?

It ignores internal mental processes, so it cannot explain complex behaviours like insight or problem-solving.