Operant Conditioning: B.F. Skinner

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Operant Conditioning B.F. Skinner

• By Jesse Mason
• and Claire Watton

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Behaviorism

• John B. Watson
• Psychology can only be accurately studied
  through
  the examination and analysis of observable
  behavior
• Re Psychology as a Science
• Basis for Skinners Theory

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B.F. Skinner

• 1904-1990

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B.F. Skinner Biography

• Burrhus Frederic Skinner - born on March 20th
  1904 in Susquehanna a small town in Pennsylvania
  
• Rough childhood
• Goal to become a writer - started writing poetry
  and short stories
• Wrote for a school paper at Hamilton College, NY
  where he received a BA in English
• Attracted by the work Ivan Pavlov on conditions,
  reflexes, and behaviorism
• Masters in Psychology and doctorate at Harvard
  University in 1931.
• Moved to Minneapolis - wife Yvonne Blue, had two
  daughters together.

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Theories of B.F. Skinner

• Repeat acts that lead to favorable responses,
  suppress acts that lead to unfavorable outcomes
• Only effective way to solve individual and social
  problems is to manipulate the environment to
  encourage the desirable behavior
• Operant Conditioning
• form of learning in which freely emitted acts
  become either more or less probable depending on
  the consequences they produce
• Demonstrates this with his invention of the
  Skinner Box

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Skinners Theories

• Reinforcer any consequence of an act that
  increases the probability that the act will
  reoccur
• Positive reinforcer any stimulus whose presence
  increases the probability that the act will
  reoccur
• Negative reinforcer any stimulus whose
  termination increases the probability that the
  act will reoccur
• Punisher any consequence of an act that
  suppresses the response and decreases the
  probability of it reoccurring

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Skinners Box
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Skinners Assumptions

• Skinner followed two assumptions
• 1. Assumption of Universal Determinism
• 2. Assumption of Environmentalism

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ACTIVITY!
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In Relation to Sara Porters Case and General
Classroom Application

• Provide positive reinforcements for paying
  attention during class, and arriving on time.