Operant Conditioning:

Rewards & Punishments

B.F. Skinner
Reporter:
Skinner is regarded as the father of Operant Conditioning
B.F. Skinner
What is Operant Conditioning?

Operant conditioning (also called instrumental conditioning)

Process of learning through reinforcement and punishment.

In operant conditioning, behaviors are strengthened or weakened based on the

consequences of that behavior.

Operant conditioning was defined and studied by behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner.
Mouse learns to associate behavior ( pressing lever)
with reward (food pellet)
To study operant conditioning, Skinner conducted experiments using a
“Skinner Box,” a small box that had a lever at one end that would provide food
or water when pressed. A rat, was placed in the box where it was free to move
around. Eventually the animal would press the lever and be rewarded. Skinner
found that this process resulted in the animal pressing the lever more
frequently. Skinner would measure learning by tracking the rate of the
animal’s responses when those responses were reinforced.
Reinforcement
Reinforcement/reward that follows a behavior will encourage and
strengthen that behavior.

Positive reinforcement

  occurs when a behavior results in a favorable outcome


 Negative reinforcement 

occurs when a behavior results in the removal of an unfavorable

experience.
Positive reinforcement 
e.g. a dog receiving a treat after obeying a command
A child receives money for doing chores.

Negative reinforcement
e.g. Weak students have to attend Summer School. Student works hard in class to Avoid Summer School.
Employee is made to come to work even on Sundays due to failed deadline. Employee works harder from next month to Avoid to go to work on Sundays.
Punishment
Punishment is the opposite of reinforcement. When punishment
follows a behavior, it discourages and weakens that behavior. There
are two kinds of punishment.

Positive punishment ( punishment by application)

occurs when a behavior is followed by an unfavorable
outcome.

Negative punishment (punishment by removal)

occurs when a behavior leads to the removal of
something favorable.
Positive punishment 
e.g. a parent spanking a child after the child uses a curse word.

Negative punishment
e.g. a parent who denies a child their weekly allowance because the child has misbehaved.