16 marker

• Describe and evaluate operant conditioning as a way of explaining people's behaviour. Refer to Alison's approach to reducing plastic waste in your answer. AO1- Explain operant conditioning 


  -Skinner suggested operant conditioning is active process where humans and animals operate on their environment.

  -Different types of consequence of behaviour
• Describe and evaluate operant conditioning as a way of explaining people's behaviour. Refer to Alison's approach to reducing plastic waste in your answer. AO1 - Explain consequences of behaviour 


  -Positive reinforcement is when you receive a reward when a certain behaviour is performed, this then leads to behaviour being repeated.
• Describe and evaluate operant conditioning as a way of explaining peoples behaviour. Refer to Alison's approach to reducing plastic waste in your answer. AO2 - Explain types of consequences of behaviour 


  -Scenario, Using positive reinforcement by providing free refills to students who bring in their own water bottle and giving 20p to those who hand in plastic bottles. Then leads to behaviour being repeated as students are receiving rewards so are more likely to keep handing in bottles and refilling bottles so chance of student doing this increase
• Describe and evaluate operant conditioning as a way of explaining peoples behaviour. Refer to Alison's approach to reducing plastic waste in your answer. AO1 + AO2- Explain types of consequence

  -Negative reinforcement is when an animal or human avoids something unpleasant.

  -In this case, if students don't buy bottled water then they will not have to see picture of ocean.

  -Both positive + negative reinforcement increases the likelihood of behaviour being repeated
• Describe and evaluate operant conditioning as a way of explaining peoples behaviour. Refer to Alison's approach to reducing plastic waste in your answer. AO1 + AO2- Explain consequences of behaviour

  -Punishment is an unpleasant consequence, leads to behaviour being less likely to be repeated.

  -Case, punishment is that students will have to pay an extra 20p for bottled water so the chances of this behaviour being repeated should decrease.
• Describe and evaluate operant conditioning as a way of explaining peoples behaviour. Refer to Alison's approach to reducing plastic waste in your answer. AO1- Schedules of reinforcement 


  -Skinner's research states how there are different schedules of reinforcement. -There is continuous reinforcement, fixed ratio reinforcement and varied ratio reinforcement.
• Describe and evaluate operant conditioning as a way of explaining peoples behaviour. Refer to Alison's approach to reducing plastic waste in your answer. AO1- Schedules of reinforcement (Continuous reinforcement) 


  -When an animal or human positively reinforced every time a specific behaviour occurs

  -Response rate is slow, extinction rate is fast. Alison will see response from students but fast extinction rate so wont last
• Describe and evaluate operant conditioning as a way of explaining peoples behaviour. Refer to Alison's approach to reducing plastic waste in your answer. AO1- Schedules of reinforcement (Fixed ratio reinforcement) 


  -When positive reinforcement is only given after behaviour occurs a specified number of times.

  -Response rate is fast and extinction rate is medium

  -Alison's case would not be effective schedule
• Describe and evaluate operant conditioning as a way of explaining peoples behaviour. Refer to Alison's approach to reducing plastic waste in your answer. AO1- Schedules of reinforcement (Varied ratio reinforcement) 


  -Positive reinforcement is given after an unpredictable number of times. Response rate is fast, extinction rate is slow.

  -Case, Alison could use this as it would ensure that her recycling campaign has longevity due to it having a slow extinction rate. She could introduce certain rewards every nth student.
• Describe and evaluate operant conditioning as a way of explaining peoples behaviour. Refer to Alison's approach to reducing plastic waste in your answer. AO3- Strength

  -His reliance on scientific method. His use of laboratory experiments was highly controlled, systematic, objective and replicable.

  -Allowed him to establish a casual relationship meaning that his research lends to strength to his theory.
• Describe and evaluate operant conditioning as a way of explaining peoples behaviour. Refer to Alison's approach to reducing plastic waste in your answer. AO3- Criticism 


  -He described free will as 'an illusion' and argued all behaviour is a result of conditioning

  -Stated that our choice is merely sum of reinforcement contingencies that acted upon us during our lives

  -It's hard determinism and states humans have no free will.

  -Humanistic approach example for it not being case
• Describe and evaluate operant conditioning as a way of explaining peoples behaviour. Refer to Alison's approach to reducing plastic waste in your answer. AO3- Positive

  -Been used to treat schizophrenic individuals due to its practical applications and principles

  -Alloy found out patients showed more socially desirable behaviours using token economy.

  -Demonstrates how rewards can shape behaviour

  -However, treatments only effective if reward are given and dont lead to long term change in behaviour patterns