Evaluation of operant conditioning & Skinner's research

• Strengths

  • OC has good application to the maintenance of phobias
  • Someone with social phobia uses avoidance to stay away from any events involving people, socialising etc.
  • The use of avoidance is an example of negative reinforcement i.e. taking steps to keep away from large gatherings of people
  • The more the avoidance is repeated the more the phobic person is rewarded with feelings of relief and security
• Strengths

  • Skinner used standardised procedures in controlled conditions which means that his research has good reliability
  • Reliability is a strength of experimental research as it satisfies the criteria for falsifiability i.e. the theory can be tested scientifically
• Limitations

  • OC cannot explain why some people may repeat behaviours which are damaging, detrimental or unpleasant
  • People who self-harm may do so for the specific relief it brings them but such behaviours would not be recognised as positive reinforcers by OC
  • People who continue to smoke even though they may find the taste and the smell of cigarettes unpleasant defy the assumptions of OC
• Limitations

  • Skinner's research is overly simplistic (environmental reductionism)
  • Humans are much more complex and sophisticated than animals and operate at a higher cognitive level
  • People are more able to take control of their behaviour via
  • mechanisms such as self-efficacy than the behaviourists
  • give them credit for