The behaviourist perspective (skinner)

Operant conditioning

works based on the principle of learning by consequence (positive/negative reinforcement & punishment)

reinforcement

any consequence that increases the likelihood of a behaviour occurring again

positive reinforcement

adding a pleasant stimulus to increase behaviour

example

a teacher giving a student a sticker for completing their homework - increases the likelihood of them completing their homework in the future

negative reinforcement

removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase behaviour

example

you fasten your seatbelt to stop the annoying car alarm from sounding, reinforcing the habit of buckling up

punishment

any consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behaviour occurring again

positive punishment

adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease behaviour

example

receiving a speeding ticket after driving too fast because an unpleasant stimulus is added to decrease the likelihood of future speeding

negative punishment

removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease behaviour

example

a parent taking away a teenager's phone after they come home late which decreases the likelihood of the teenager coming home late in the future

how did skinner develop his theory of operant conditioning? (1)

skinner proposed behaviour is learned through its consequences, using the "skinner box" he showed a hungry rat learned to press a lever to receive food

(2)

initially accidental, the lever pressing was reinforced by food making the behaviour more likely to be repeated. skinner argued that reinforced behaviours are repeated leading to learning. Reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behaviour recurring & can be:

positive reinforcement

gaining something pleasant eg praise, sweets encourages behaviour eg doing good homework

negative reinforcement

avoiding something unpleasant eg detention encourages behaviour eg working hard

(3)

skinner also demonstrated negative reinforcement when rats learned to avoid electric shocks by responding to a warning buzzer

(4)

both types of reinforcement aim to encourage desired behaviours. in contrast punishment reduces the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated by discouraging unwanted actions