Operant Conditioning

Descriptive Essay # 111150

Psychology > Behaviorism
Psychology > Theory

Discuses the theory of operant conditioning, which is attributed to B.F. Skinner, the 'Father of Behaviourism.'

1,225 words () | 5 sources | APA | 2005 Canada

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Skinner's theory of operant conditioning attempts to define the natural laws of behaviour in which a meaningful and voluntary action stimulates an organism's behaviour. The author reviews several studies relating to the use of operant conditioning to provide positive and negative reenforment in teaching and modifying behaviour. The paper concludes that these studies provide evidence for the relevancy of operant conditioning procedures to human learning and behaviour acquisition.

From the Paper:

"Operant conditioning can be used for much more complex learning tasks than training a rat to press a lever. In a study by Veraat and Cremieux (1992), researchers used operant conditioning to teach blind cats to use a ultrasonic echolocation prosthesis to navigate mazes and learn to perceive depth. The kittens in the study were deprived of site at a very young age, and then given a prosthetic device that detected depth and distance of physical objects. When the kittens grew into cats, a number of behavioural tests were done, including one that tested their locomotor behaviour in mazes, and another that tested their ability to jump and perceive depth."

Sample of Sources Used:

Branch, M.N. (2000). Operant Conditioning. Encyclopaedia of Psychology, Vol. 5. New York: Oxford University Press; APA.
Greenspoon, J. (1954) The effect of two non-verbal stimuli on the frequency of two verbal response classes. American Psychologist, 9, 384.
Skinner, B.F. (1951). How to Teach Animals. Scientific American, 185, 26-29.
Skinner, B.F. (1953). Some Contributions of an Experimental Analysis of Behaviour to Psychology as a Whole. American Psychologist, 8, 69-78.
Verplank, W.S. (1956). The Operant Conditioning of Human Motor Behaviour. Psychological Bulletin, 53, 70-83.