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This 5 page paper considers the issue of operant conditioning and the views offered by B.F. Skinner. This paper reflects the theory behind this concept. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
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5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: MH11_MHoper33co.doc
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environmental stimuli and specific and measurable physical and behavioral responses. As a result, operant conditioning has been utilized as a component of behavioral theories regarding the use of positive
and negative reinforcements to achieve desired behavioral outcomes. The Theory of Operant Conditioning The theory of operant conditioning was introduced by Skinner, but was based on prior research conducted
by psychologists like Watson and Pavlov. Skinner maintained that desired behavioral change could be realized through repeated exposure to stimuli after a behavior has occurred and desired both
positive and negative methods to achieve this change. Skinner described four types of operant conditioning: positive or negative reinforcement (seen to strengthen behaviors) or punishment or extinction (both
designed to weaken behaviors) (MCLI, 1999). The term operant refers to any stimuli that produce an effect, and operant conditioning references reinforcement, which is the use of
an object or event that is presented after a behavior that subsequently increases (or decreases) the likelihood that a person will participate in that behavior again in the future (Berns,
2012, p. 56). "Operant methods take into account the participatory role of individuals in their own socialization" (Berns, 2012, p. 56). Positive and Negative Reinforcement Positive and negative reinforcement
are two types of operant conditioning that is based on the belief that behaviors can be shaped by the expectation of consequences of the behavior. Positive reinforcement is the
use of positive consequences following a particular behavior in order to reinforce the behavior, increasing the odds that the behavior will occur in the future (MCLI, 1999). The idea
is that the presence of stimuli after the behavior that has positive connotations will result in a connection between the behaviors and positive feelings. This association, then, leads to
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