Skinner - Operant Conditioning

Question 1

What are strengths of operant conditioning?

Answer 1

Research is seen as an excellent example of scientific research
Valuable contribution to society in explanation for development of behaviour
Use of positive reinforcement for encouragement and ‘condition’ disirable behaviours and punishment to extinguish undesirable behaviour

Question 2

What are the weaknesses of operant conditioning?

Answer 2

Human behaviour is driven by complex emotions and complex though processes, so impossible for all these processes to be observed
Ethical issues
Generating and applying the findings of rats to humans is problematic

Question 3

What are the ethical issues of operant conditioning?

Answer 3

Animals involves were exposed to stressful and harmful conditions, many would argue that his procedures were unnecessary

Question 4

What is reinforcement?

Answer 4

Consequences that strengthen a behaviour or makes it likely to be repeated

Question 5

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 5

A reward - presence of a pleasant stimuli

Question 6

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 6

The removal of an unpleasant stimulus

Question 7

What is punishment?

Answer 7

Consequences that weaken a behaviour or makes it less likely to be repeated, it can involve the presentation of an unpleasant stimulus or the removal of a pleasant one

Question 8

What is shaping?

Answer 8

Teach complex behaviours, broken down into a series of simple behaviours taught by using reinforcement and punishment, and gradually combined to create the desired complex behaviours

Question 9

What is stimulus control?

Answer 9

Learns particular behaviour only brings reinforcement under particular conditions