Defintion and Educational Implications of Operant Conditioning PDF

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A definition of operant conditioning is needed, Reinforcement Operant Conditioning's Educational Implications or Significance.
Professor B.F. Skinner (b. 1904) began his research on human behaviour as a student in Harvard University's Department of Psychology. 'The notion of the reflex in the...

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Defintion and Educational Implications of Operant Conditioning A definition of operant conditioning is needed, Reinforcement Operant Conditioning's Educational Implications or Significance. Professor B.F. Skinner (b. 1904) began his research on human behaviour as a student in Harvard University's Department of Psychology. 'The notion of the reflex in the Description of the conduct,' he wrote in his thesis of 1931. There were many studies on rats and pigs that Skinner undertook. "The Behavior of Organism," "Science and Human Behaviour," and "Vocal Behavior," all of which were published in the 1930s and 1950s, respectively, are among his most noteworthy works (1974). (1974). Operant Conditioning: What Does It Mean? Skinner coined the phrase "operant conditioning" to define his theory, which is based on the premise that an organism must execute particular operations or acts in order to learn. "operant" refers to the way in which a person's actions have an affect on the world around them. Acts that teach an organism how to perform a certain action are called as operants. Operational responses are adjusted or changed as a result of positive reinforcement in operant conditioning. When a bond is diminished, the likelihood of a stimulus generating future responses is enhanced. This is called as reinforcement. It was the "no stimulus, no response" technique that angered Skinner in his studies of the evolution of human behaviour. Skinner got to the idea that "behaviour is shaped and perpetuated by its consequences" after performing countless studies. As a result of its acts, it is "operated and maintained" When this type of behaviour occurs, it is referred to as operant behaviour, and when it is learnt, it is referred to as operant conditioning. It's vital to clarify and explain some of Skinner's principles in order to properly appreciate what he was attempting to communicate with his operant conditioning theory. Conduct of the Respondent and the Operants:

In the beginning, Skinner noticed that the known stimuli were not responsible for most of the reactions. Responses that are "elicited" by known stimuli and those that are "emitted" by unknown stimuli are both considered "operant behaviours," according to him. Occurring reflexes such as the reaction to being poked with a pin and the narrowing of pupils due to strong light are instances of operant behaviour. Salivation in the presence of food can also be an example of operant behaviour. Operant: In Skinner's view, an operant is a set of movements that make up an organism doing something, such as raising its head, wandering around, or pulling a lever. Operant conditioning is defined as: As the name suggests, this is a style of teaching in which a response is made more likely or more frequent by the application of reinforcement. Learning operant behaviour, which does not necessarily have a known stimulus connected with it, is made easier when utilising this strategy. "Skinner's Experiment," done by B.F. Skinner, Experiments on animals by B.F.Skinner were carried out. Skinner constructed a customised box for conducting the tests with rats, which he dubbed Skinner's box. Thorndike had used a puzzle box for his cat tests, but this was a greatly modified version of it. To begin, Skinner used the cage mentioned above to keep a famished rat in one of his tests. An animal's urge to press on the bar in a certain way might result in a click sound and the presence of a food pallet in this experiment. The "Pigeon Box" was Skinner's go-to equipment for working with pigeons in his experiments. In this experiment, a pigeon was rewarded for pecking at an illuminated plastic key that was fixed on the wall at head height and was given grain in return. Reinforcement and Reinforcement:

Reinforcement is the same as rewarding someone for their efforts. Using a reinforcer enhances the possibility that a reaction will occur again in the future. Reinforcement can be positive or negative, according to Skinner. The Positive Reinforcement The introduction or presentation of any stimulus that raises the chance of a given behaviour is referred to as a positive reinforcer. Positive reinforcers include items like food, water, and sexual intercourse. Positive Reinfrocer Positive reinforcers are those that raise the chance of a desired behaviour when they are present. Negative reinforcers include things like being startled, hearing a loud noise, etc. The Reinforcement Timetables: Reinforcement schedules that should not be disregarded include the following: a plan of regular reinforcement Reinforcement at a Predetermined Frequency . Fixed Ratio Reinforcement Schedule Changes in the Reinforcement Schedule Operant Conditioning and Its Implications for Education: 1. Approximation through repeated steps: The hypothesis argues that the shaping technique has a tremendous deal of potential for behavioural modification. Children's behaviour can be shaped through operant conditioning and the right application of reinforcement and rewards. Approximation in terms of minor steps can be used to mould behaviour. The process of successive approximation indicates that the learner proceeds through a succession of steps that are rewarding to him or her. The teacher must applaud the pupil for each accomplishment.

The term "successive approximation" refers to a process in which complex behavioural patterns are eventually learned by modest, pleasurable steps. The teacher must applaud the pupil for each accomplishment. Extinction is a technique for getting rid of undesired tendencies. Repetition without reinforcement gradually diminishes the strength of a learnt response's tendency to be executed. A classroom teacher can successfully employ extinction processes to get rid of troublesome children. Reinforcing the point: Reinforcement approaches in the classroom can benefit immensely from the concepts of operant conditioning. Positive reinforcement in the form of operant conditioning can be employed by schools to fight the pervasive prevalence of anxiety among children. Positive reinforcement is one of the most prevalent tactics used in schools to motivate kids. A reward is all that is needed to accomplish this method. It could be anything from a great grade to an extra pen or even just a smile or a compliment. Positive reinforcement is founded on the premise that the more an action is rewarded, the more likely it is to be repeated. If you discipline a child in the same way over and over again, they are more likely to give up on their bad habits, according to some educators. The following elements determine the effectiveness of punishment as a technique of reinforcing behaviour: the penalty should be applied at the correct time Punishment must be imposed as soon as the wrongdoing occurs if it is to be effective. ii) Punishment that is consistent in nature:

Inconsistent punishment is less effective than consistent punishment when it comes to disciplining a child for a specific behaviour. (iii) The severity of the penalty: Even the most severe electrical shocks can be employed as a form of punishment. However, particularly unpleasant stimuli have a long-lasting effect and harsh punishment is effective. However, the use of corporal punishment, which is an extremely painful experience for children, should be avoided in preference of a more unpleasant alternative. Punishment adaptation: The child's capacity to discriminate between situations that are painful and those that are not painful, as well as between acceptable and inappropriate acts, will degrade with time if punishment is the only choice open to him. In place of completing the aim, below are some possible alternatives: Psychoneurotic effects might develop when a youngster is punished for an action for which he or she has no other choice. A teacher can assist a youngster discern between acceptable and inappropriate behaviour by presenting options. Behavioural change: Individuals can acquire difficult and complex behaviours with the help of shaping. Additionally, operant conditioning asks for the adoption of behaviour modification programmes in an effort to mould desired behaviours and screen out unwanted ones. According to operant conditioning, an individual learns to conduct desired activities because they are rewarded, and to avoid undesirable actions because they are either penalised or not rewarded. This is the core premise of operant conditioning. To a significant extent, a teacher can profit from the following principles of

behaviour modification: Identification of the intended behaviour I To begin, the instructor should establish which of the student's disruptive actions or undesirable replies he or she desires to eradicate. The better for him it will be if he can be more explicit. The 'target conduct' refers to the undesired behaviour that has to be removed. When a student demonstrates a lot of troublesome behaviours, the instructor must focus his or her attention on the one that is most bothersome or most easily corrected. Second, keeping track of how often a given behaviour occurs: The teacher should collect statistics on how often a target behaviour occurs. He should keep track of the number of times a pupil behaves in an undesirable manner and note those events. Identification of the root causes of misbehaviour: Students that misbehave should be observed and documented by their teacher. He should investigate the circumstances surrounding the student's misbehaviour. determining what occurs as a result of the behaviour: It's important to figure out what occurs to a child right after he misbehaves. Identifying the desired result: The teacher's objective behaviour is what he wants the child to do and what answers he wants to elicit. First and foremost, the teacher must determine what type of behaviour is required. He should give a thorough description of what he intends to achieve. In this circumstance, the teacher should be as explicit as possible. (vi) Theory development and testing: All five of the preceding phases must be included in a thorough behaviour change programme. The program's main focus, however, is on developing

and testing hypotheses. In the formulation of the hypothesis and the implementation of the intervention programmes, reinforcement techniques are also used: Reinforcement that isn't positive: To influence students' actions, use positive reinforcement. The appropriate form of reinforcement: The reward should be determined by the behaviour being rewarded. There isn't a single reinforcer that works in every circumstance. It's possible that switching up the reinforcer will help. You don't have to put in a lot of effort: The teacher should not expect students to put in excessive effort for insufficient pay. Positive reinforcers benefit children because they are rewarded for their efforts. The benefits of a reinforcer are weighed against the effort required to obtain one. Immediate reinforcement When a student exhibits a desired behaviour, he or she is more likely to connect the behaviour to the reward the teacher intends to give. The approximation of goal-behavior is reinforced Each step closer to the desired behaviour should be rewarded by the teacher. Even if a student has not demonstrated much, his or her success should be rewarded. Rather than waiting for the whole thing to come together, teachers should focus on individual aspects of a student's behaviour. The term "behaviour shaping" refers to this process. From partially to fully reinforced Once the goal behaviour is achieved, the teacher should gradually shift from continuous reinforcement to intermittent schedules. If the teacher abruptly stops reinforcing the behaviour, it is likely to be extinguished. The

shift from continuous reinforcement to partial reinforcement is required to encourage self-regulation or self-reinforcement. Concentrating on what you want to see: When a teacher notices a student doing the right thing rather than the wrong thing, he or she emphasises positive rather than negative behaviour. The following actions should be commended: It is the teacher, not the student, who should be praised. It's important to keep track of the project's progress and evaluate the outcomes (viii) The teacher must monitor the student's progress toward achieving a specific behaviour goal. Teachers must keep track of their students' progress in order to determine whether their strategy is effective. Keep in mind that the effectiveness of any behaviour modification programme is directly related to the creators' and participants' creativity, which includes the student and his or her parents. The following is the rationale for using a computer to teach: The theory lays the groundwork for computer-assisted learning. A student is guided through a series of pre-determined actions by a computer programme that serves as a substitute for a tutor. Operant conditioning principles have revolutionised training and learning methods everywhere they've been used. As a result, mechanical learning in the form of teaching machines and computer-assisted instructions has largely replaced traditional classroom instruction. The use of books and machines allows for immediate reinforcement of knowledge. Behavioral therapy (also known as cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT) is a type of Operant conditioning has also been used as a behavioural therapy. The goal of behavioural therapy is to treat behavioural disorders by reinforcing socially adaptive behaviours while eliminating harmful ones....