Operant Conditioning

• Many of the experiments use animals which cause problems for generalisation.
• Many of the experiments were carried out under controlled conditions in the lab, so can be replicated easily.
• Many of the lab experiments are standardised and controlled making them more reliable.
• Lab experiments lack ecological validity.
• Many of the early animal experiments broke ethical guidelines as they exposed them to unpleasant stimuli.
• Operant conditioning has good application in real life with token economy programmes.
• In practice operant conditioning can be an effective way for both humans and animals to learn.
• Token economy programmes work well in schools, hospitals and prisons and are an ethical way of learning.
• Weiss & Wilson (2003) used positive reinforcement to train 4 tortoises to approach a target and hold their head still while touching it. They were given food as a reward for doing this. Training the tortoises to do this meant that it would be easier to take blood samples from.
• Operant conditioning ignores cognitive factors in learning.
• Breland & Breland (1961) tried to train pigs to put a wooden token into a piggy bank. The pig would then get a reward. However, the pigs would not do this, so this technique does not work with all animals.
• Animals are learning unnatural behaviours that they would not do in the wild (e.g., pressing a lever).
• Operant conditioning does not account for innate abilities or biological factors in behaviour.
• Operant conditioning does not consider other forms of learning such as observational learning. Sherry & Galef (1984) found that birds learnt to open a tub of cream by watching other birds do it.