Operant Conditioning

Operant-Conditioning 3

The use of Operant Conditioning to shape a desired behaviour

Behavioural psychology is a branch of Psychology, which studies the way in which humans learn and adapt to their environment. The ability to adapt and to learn from a constant changing environment is essential for survival of all species, not exclusive to the human race. “Operant conditioning involves operant behaviour, as each individual act operates on the environment to produce rewarding or punishing stimuli”. (Myers, 2002, 301.).
Operational Conditioning is a method used to increase a desirable behaviour, and to decrease an undesirable behaviour. This method incorporates shaping, positive and negative reinforcement, token economies and reinforcement schedules to further increase a desirable behaviour within a species. B.F. Skinner, one of the most influential behavioural psychologists who developed his theory of Operational Conditioning from Edward L. Thorndike’s Law of Effect, used...