behaviourism- Operant conditioning

• operant conditioning


  Learning through consequences.
• positive reinforcement


  A positive outcome following a behaviour
• Negative reinforcement 


  The removal of something negative following a behaviour.
• punishment 


  The addition of something negative following a behaviour
• two types of punishment:

  • positive punishment= To have something negative administered (e.g being smacked)
  • negative punishment= To have something positive being taken away (e.g phone being taken away)
• Skinners research- skinner boxes

  • The Skinner box is a chamber that isolates the subject from the external environment and has a behaviour indicator such as a lever or a button.
  • When the animal pushes the button or lever, the box is able to deliver a positive reinforcement of the behaviour (such as food) or a punishment (such as noise), or a token conditioner (such as a light) that is correlated with either the positive reinforcement or punishment.
• Operant conditioning is important because it shows how we are all influenced by our environments and experiences throughout life. It demonstrates how learning occurs through experience rather than innate abilities. This means that people who do not succeed at school may simply need more support and encouragement to achieve their potential.