...learn behaviors or change behaviors, and went on to infer that patterns of reinforcement shape behavior, which is operant conditioning. Comparing and contrasting positive and negative reinforcement in operant conditioning gives an understanding of how both are a necessity in operant conditioning. Both positive and negative reinforcement are a necessity in operant conditioning; one form of reinforcement is more effective than the other. Several reasons exist to why one form of reinforcement is more effective than the other. A given scenario can show how to apply operant conditioning to shape behavior and how the creation of a reinforcement schedule can apply to a certain selected behavior. B. F. Skinner developed the “term” operant conditioning in 1937 (Staddon& Cerutti, 2003). Skinner's theory of operant conditioning explains how organisms acquire learned behaviors that they exhibit. The main focus of operant conditioning is to use reinforcement as a reward or punishment to increase or decrease the likelihood of behavior (Staddon & Cerutti, 2003). Operant conditioning is a means or method of learning, which occurs through or by reward and punishment for an organism’s behavior (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2013). Basically, a learner receives either reward or punishment for behavior. The learner actively has to participate in and perform a certain type of behavior to receive either a reward or punishment. In operant conditioning, behavior, and the resulting consequences of said...
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...or unfavorable consequences. (Feldman, 2010, 170) Psychologist B.F. Skinner conducted research that best show us how reinforcement became the central concept of operant conditioning. The theory behind why reinforcement beats punishment is that punishment has shown several disadvantages including the initial behavior may be replaced by one that is even less desirable. Prior to looking at this, you have to understand that basis for many of the most important kinds of human and animal learning is known as operant conditioning. “Operant conditioning is learning in which a voluntary response is strengthened or weakened, depending on its favorable or unfavorable consequences”. (Feldman, 2010, 170) Reinforcement is known as the central concept of operant conditioning. “Reinforcement is the process by which a stimulus increases the probability that a preceding behavior will be repeated.” (Feldman, 2010, 171) Both reinforcement and punishment have two forms, they are negative and positive. “In both cases, positive means adding something, and negative means removing something.” (Feldman, 2010, 171) Positive reinforcement is rewarding for those who may perform well, this can show when someone receives a promotion at work for exemplary performance over other employees who do not put forth the extra effort. While on the other side of things, negative reinforcement can be described as “an unpleasant stimulus whose removal leads to an increase in the probability that a preceding response...
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...Compensation management theories Reinforcement theory Reinforcement theory proposes that you can change someone’s behavior by using reinforcement, punishment and extinction. Rewards are used to reinforce the behavior you want and punishments are used to prevent the behavior you do not want. Extinction is a means to stop someone from performing a learned behavior. Reinforcement is a behavioral construction where control is achieved by manipulating the consequences of behavior. A business manager using reinforcement theory might employ reward for desirable behavior by staff and punishments for undesirable behavior to help steer employees toward intended performance goals. Reinforcement theory states that a response followed by a reward is more likely to recur in the future (Thorndike's Law of Effect). The implication for compensation management is that high employee performance followed by a monetary reward will make future high performance more likely. By the same token, high performance not followed by a reward will make it less likely in the future. The theory emphasizes the importance of a person actually experiencing the reward. TYPES OF REINFORCEMENT Positive Positive reinforcement results when the occurrence of a valued behavioral consequence has the effect of strengthening the probability of the behavior being repeated. The specific behavioral consequence is called a reinforcer. Example, sales person that exact extra effort to meet a sales quota (behavioral)...
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...evidently a certain attitude it must be performed repeatedly and deeply rooted within the humans’ heart and mind. It may not be performed quickly but is done in a slow pace within reoccurring exposures. To do this it is certain to use Skinners ideology. Taming a lion is never easy but taming a minacious child was never easier. It takes a lot of patience and hardship to lead one into the right track. Skinners theory is a lot of help. We all owe him one. Skinners methods of shaping human behavior can be trace back in Thorndikes works. As skinners theory is a modification of what have been the theories of Thorndike. For Skinner, there are four methods of shaping human behavior. These are: Positive reinforcement, Negative reinforcement, Punishment and Extinction. Positive and negative reinforcement are two related methods...
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...Reinforcement has been a psychological tool used to teach students to take specific actions or learn a specific way of thinking (Koch, 2012). Reinforcements are usually considered negative in nature and often viewed as coercive. Punishment, a widely known and accepted form of alternative behavior, is a quick fix for problem behaviors. It is often used as it is more familiar and is a fast solution for the situation and the teacher. Persons who use different forms of punishment remark that it terminates undesirable and negative behaviors quickly and is easily given. While punishment has proven effective for some students, it is not always the desired behavior intervention for all students. Punishment is not always the best solution for undesirable and negative behaviors. Students with chronic behaviors, for example, do not respond well to punishment (Koch, 2012). Students are repeatedly punished by their parents and guardians through verbal assaults, spankings/beatings, the use of time out, and other negative methods. Students are accustomed and sometimes immune to receiving punishment that one needs to consider if the punishment is really effective? Also to consider is the reason for the punishment to inflict harm or merely to correct or terminate negative behavior? Reinforcements are used to teach students a different alternative and to teach specific actions or assist students to learn a particular way of thinking (Koch, 2012). Two main types of reinforcement are positive...
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...method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. Through operant conditioning, an association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior. Operant conditioning was coined by behaviorist B.F. Skinner, which is why you may occasionally hear it referred to as Skinnerian conditioning. As a behaviorist, Skinner believed that internal thoughts and motivations could not be used to explain behavior. Instead, he suggested, we should look only at the external, observable causes of human behavior. Skinner used the term operant to refer to any "active behavior that operates upon the environment to generate consequences" (1953). In other words, Skinner's theory explained how we acquire the range of learned behaviors we exhibit each and every day. Examples of Operant Conditioning We can find examples of operant conditioning at work all around us. Consider the case of children completing homework to earn a reward from a parent or teacher, or employees finishing projects to receive praise or promotions. In these examples, the promise or possibility of rewards causes an increase in behavior, but operant conditioning can also be used to decrease a behavior. The removal of an undesirable outcome or the use of punishment can be used to decrease or prevent undesirable behaviors. For example, a child may be told they will lose recess privileges if they talk out of turn in class. This potential for punishment may lead to a decrease in disruptive behaviors...
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...Behavior Change Behavior Change with Positive and Negative Reinforcements Vickie Christian, Tiffany Smith, Natasha Butcher, Rochelle Dial University of Phoenix There are several forms of operant conditioning that can be used to change a person’s behavior. The four forms are positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, and omission training. Positive reinforcement is the use of a stimulus to make a certain behavior response increase. A good example of this would be that when you rub a cat on its back it will make a purring sound; the purring is the positive reinforce. If you want the same results the next time then you must rub it in the same manner. Negative reinforcement is when you take something away from a person to increase a behavior. For instance, if your child has a chore of doing the dishes and you tell that child that if they say please and thank you they will not have to do them, then in order to avoid the dreaded chore of the dishes they will continue to give you the behavior you are looking for. Punishment is when you decrease a behavior response by an adverse stimulus. An example of this would be yelling at a child for doing something they know they should not be doing. Omission training is removing the stimulus to get a certain behavior. An example of this would be to take away a television that the child might use as a night light for not going to bed when they are supposed to. There are primary reinforcers and secondary reinforcers. The primary...
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...Behavior Change with Positive and Negative Reinforcements Vickie Christian, Tiffany Smith, Natasha Butcher, Rochelle Dial University of Phoenix There are several forms of operant conditioning that can be used to change a person’s behavior. The four forms are positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, and omission training. Positive reinforcement is the use of a stimulus to make a certain behavior response increase. A good example of this would be that when you rub a cat on its back it will make a purring sound; the purring is the positive reinforce. If you want the same results the next time then you must rub it in the same manner. Negative reinforcement is when you take something away from a person to increase a behavior. For instance, if your child has a chore of doing the dishes and you tell that child that if they say please and thank you they will not have to do them, then in order to avoid the dreaded chore of the dishes they will continue to give you the behavior you are looking for. Punishment is when you decrease a behavior response by an adverse stimulus. An example of this would be yelling at a child for doing something they know they should not be doing. Omission training is removing the stimulus to get a certain behavior. An example of this would be to take away a television that the child might use as a night light for not going to bed when they are supposed to. There are primary reinforcers and secondary reinforcers...
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...emotion. His work is based off of Edward Thordike’s Law and Effect theory, which he renamed as Reinforcement. It was Skinner’s findings that behavior that was reinforced tends to be strengthened and repeated opposed to behavior that is not reinforced tends to be weakened and extinguished. Skinner studied this behavior by conducting experiments using animals, such as lab rats, which he placed in what he called a “Skinner Box.” B.F. Skinner came up with...
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...forms of behavior. Furthermore, learning is the outcome of rewards and punishments used as consequences for specific behaviors. B. F. Skinner is one of the most famous behaviorists who initiated the operant conditioning theory, and until today, most theorists refer to it as the “ Skinnerian Conditioning” to further their studies. Skinner established his theory from Thorndike’s earlier work and demonstrates that the most efficient way to understand behavior is by observing the causes of people’s actions, based on the effect of reinforcement or punishments. This paper will discuss the theory of the operant conditioning by explaining the significant actions that stimulates people’s behavior. Theory of Operant Conditioning Skinner did not consider people inner thoughts or intentions to be responsible for the way their behavior is shaped. Instead, he believed that external factors are most likely to be accountable for the way humans behave in their environment. The reason he uses the term operant, is to refer to certain behaviors that operate within the environment and initiate consequences. According to Skinner,” the emphasis is on behavior and its consequences, and the organism must respond in such a way as to produce the reinforcing stimulus” (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 76). Skinner also explains in his theory that behavior is more likely to be repeated through negative or positive reinforcement, increasing the possibilities to modify the behavior gradually as desired...
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...Assignments are included (Details given below) PSY 420 Week 1 Reinforcement Procedures Paper (2 Papers) PSY 420 Week 2 Behavioural Principles Application Presentation (2 PPT) PSY 420 Week 2 Ethics of Punishment Paper (2 Papers) PSY 420 Week 3 Reinforcement Worksheet PSY 420 Week 4 Schedules of Reinforcement Paper PSY 420 Week 4 DRO Contingency Worksheet PSY 420 DQ Variable Interval PSY 420 Week 5 Self-Management Paper (2 Papers) ----------------------------------------------------- PSY 420 DQ Variable Interval FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT www.psy420edu.com Write 280-300 words on: Variable intervals, and how they are related to the behavior of "plastic surgery addiction." --------------------------------------------------- PSY 420 Week 1 Reinforcement Procedures Paper (2 Papers) FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT www.psy420edu.com This Tutorial contains 2 Set of Papers PSY 420 Week 1 Reinforcement Procedures Paper Consider the following scenario: A mom is trying to increase the amount of peas that her two children eat. She uses a sticker chart to monitor the amount of peas they are consuming and rewards them based on the number of stickers they have at the end of the week. The mom has found that this works for one child, but not the other. Write a 350- to 700-word paper discussing the following: § Identify the behavior that the mom is trying to reinforce. § Identify the method of reinforcement being used. § Explain possible reasons for this method working...
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...Chapter 5: Learning I. Definition of Learning any relatively permanent change in behavior brought about by experience or practice relatively permanent aspect of learning refers to learning being associated with physical changes in the brain experience although physical changes may be present we may not always be able to “get” to the information Maturation * Not all change is accomplished through learning. Changes like an increase in height or the size of the brain are another kind of change controlled by a genetic blueprint. * is due to biology, not experience II. Classical Conditioning learning to elicit an involuntary reflex response to a stimulus other than the original, natural stimulus that normally produces the reflex. Ivan Pavlov focused on observable, measurable behavior; worked with salivating dogs * Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) * unconditioned means “unlearned.” * ordinarily leads to the reflex response * Unconditioned response (UCR) * involuntary (reflex) response to a naturally occurring or unconditioned stimulus * Natural Stimulus (NS) * stimulus that has no effect on the desired response * the sight of the food dish itself became a stimulus for salivation before the food was given to the dogs. Every time they got food (to which they reflexively salivated), they saw the dish. It had no effect on salivation. ...
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...Positive punishment is intended to decrease the possibility of unwanted behavior. Positive punishment occurs when we introduce something to stop an unwanted behavior (Schultz, 2015). For example, if a parent sees a child acting in a dangerous behavior, like running into a busy street where a move a lot, the parent might scold or spank the child. Both of those serve to decrease the possibility of the child getting hit by a vehicle driving by. Negative punishment is when we take something away after an undesirable behavior occurs (Schultz, 2015). For example, if a girl is fighting with her classmates in school, you can take away her favorite toy, or you can suspend her television privileges. By doing this, you decrease the possibility of her fighting again in school. How or when a punishment is given can change a person’s response because of this there are also a variety of schedules of reinforcement that can be used to strengthen behavior, the word schedule refers to the timing of the reinforcement. Reinforcements and punishments have implications. They are defined by the effect and not the intent. In other words, you could be trying to punish a behavior but the fact is you are just reinforcing it. It might not matter what you intend to do but it matters what...
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... One tough notion for a child to absorb is for every action or behavior there are consequences. By teenage years an individual has learned this, but in spite of his knowledge, their desires often will rather point towards avoiding any negative aftereffects. Instrumental learning is learning the connection between a behavior and its consequence. The behaviors of individual organisms are instrumental in producing various outcomes, some positive and some unwanted (Terry, 2009). A task as effortless as learning how properly to raise one’s hand can be described using instrumental conditioning. Learning this can be simple or challenging using positive and negative reinforcements during the process of learning. Using proper classroom etiquette can be taught and influenced by reward and punishment in the learning process. Gaining knowledge of any task is achieved by a chosen instrumental conditioning. Comprehension of the rules concerned in learning any task will help the instructor in selecting the most beneficial instrumental conditioning method. The goal to learning to raise one’s hand at the appropriate times is using a proper classroom behavior, which also assists in the learning process of the class. Following classroom rules is the essential portion of this task. To receive positive reaction from the teacher one must follow the rules. The first step to this process is the teacher must make the rules known at the beginning of the class term. At various...
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...wooden toys should have been simplified. The employees were performing too many tasks to keep up with the conveyer system. The painters had to take a toy from a nearby tray, position it in a jig, spray on the color and then hang the toy on a passing hook. If the process were simplified to where the toys were already in position to be painted, this would eliminate some steps in the process and essentially increase production. Another way to help the performance problems at the Hovey and Beard Company is the Reinforcement Theory. The Reinforcement Theory pretty much states that a person can be motivated by its consequences. So depending on if those consequences are positive or negative, you can change someone’s motivation. Many employees have different motivation reasons so if you understand what motivates someone; you can understand how to get them to increase their productivity at a lower cost or no cost or all. There are four primary approaches to reinforcement theory: positive...
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