Skinner's Behaviorism: A Definition of Operant Conditioning Theory and Foundations of Behavioral Psychology

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Burres Frederick Skinner is one of the greatest psychologists of the 20th century. His books deserve a separate story. This outstanding person was awarded many awards and prizes. Including the Thorndike Award.

Some of the most famous books are Skinner's Behaviorism and Beyond Freedom and Dignity.

Who is Skinner?

An outstanding American psychologist who lived in the 20th century. He made a significant contribution to the development of behaviorism. He is best known for his theory of operant conditioning. In addition to his achievements in psychology, Burres Skinner was an excellent inventor. One of the inventions of the scientist is a box named after him - the Skinner box. This construction is designed to study the principles of operant learning.

Skinner pioneered the work of functional analysis. It was he who proposed it as a method of studying behavior.

It is known that in 1958the famous psychologist was awarded the prize "For outstanding contribution to the development of science." The award was presented by the American Psychological Association. It was noted that few American psychologists were able to make such a significant contribution to the development of psychology.

In 1972, the same Association recognized Burres Frederick Skinner as the most outstanding psychologist of the 20th century. The second line at that time was taken by Z. Freud.

The famous psychologist has hundreds of articles and dozens of scientific books to his credit.

Skinner's theory of behaviorism is a breakthrough in the science of psychology. And it will be discussed below.

What is behaviorism?

From English behavior the word is translated as "behavior". Thus, Skinner's behaviorism is nothing more than the study of behavior under the influence of certain environmental factors.

Operant behavior

Skinner's operant behaviorism, or operant behavior, is any action aimed at achieving a specific goal. It is under the influence of antecedents and consequences.

So the theory of operant conditioning is: a learning process based on the actions of antecedents and consequences.

Consequences shape operant behavior. And therefore, its frequency increases or decreases in the future.

Antecedent factors influence present-tense behavior.

Briefly about Skinner's behaviorism: the formation of operant behavior occurs as a result of "operating with consequences." Thatthere are certain conditions created in the environment.

Creating conditions

These conditions, according to Skinner's behaviorism, are created with the help of positive or negative reinforcements (reinforcers). Positive reinforcement reinforces the manifestation of a particular behavior in the future. Negative, on the contrary, extinguishes it.

For example, a child is constantly acting up in a store. Mom buys him a chocolate bar or a toy, the baby stops his whims. Chocolate is a positive reinforcement in this situation for a little capricious. He has already developed a clear algorithm of behavior, and the child knows that if he starts a tantrum in the store, he will receive a kind of reinforcement for this.

Another example. The child throws a tantrum in the store. Mom ignores. The child screams even more, tries to fall to the floor and fight in hysterics. Mom slaps him hard and takes him out of the store without buying anything. The second time the baby again turns on such a behavior system, and again receives a slap. It is unlikely that the third time he wants to be spanked. The child begins to behave calmly in the store, not trying to be capricious. And why? Because a spank is a negative reinforcer. And the baby does not like this method, so he will try to avoid it in the future.

Intensifying Behavior

The Behavior Reinforcement Principle is a process that takes place in the environment after the behavior has already been formed and manifested.

Intensification occurs immediately afterbehaviors.

Positive reinforcement is the manifestation of a stimulus after a behavior has been demonstrated. It leads to his strengthening in the future.

Negative reinforcement is a stimulus that is given immediately after a behavior occurs and reduces its subsequent possibility of occurrence.

According to Skinner's operant behaviorism, negative reinforcement is liberation. Having received it once, a person will subsequently strive to free himself from the strengthening of an unpleasant stimulus.

Types of amplification processes

Behaviorism B. Skinner speaks of two types of these processes: direct and indirect. The former are processes in which external environmental stimuli are involved that have a direct impact on a person. They, in turn, are divided into:

1. Positive - attention, sleep, food.
2. Negative - avoiding the unpleasant person.

Immediate processes are automatic. They, like indirect ones, are divided into positive and negative.

Behavior Reduction Processes

Skinner's behaviorism includes weakening processes. What it is? It is a process of punishment or easing that occurs after the behavior has occurred. And it leads to a weakening of unwanted behavior in the future.

These processes are divided into positive and negative.

Positive mitigation is a process in which an unpleasant stimulus is provided after a behavior has occurred, resulting in a decrease and/or reduction in the behavior infuture.

Negative mitigation is the process of removing pleasurable stimuli after an undesirable behavior has been exhibited so that the behavior will be reduced or reduced in the future.

Prior factors

One of the stages of Skinner's behaviorism includes various incentives and motivational operations.

Motivational operations increase or decrease the effectiveness of a particular stimulus to increase or decrease behavior. They are divided into inciting and suppressing.

Instigators increase motivational value. This means that the likelihood of the behavior increases.

Suppressive, in turn, lowers the motivational value of the stimulus, reducing the likelihood of a particular behavior.

Incentives

They influence behavior due to past experiences. They can be divided into three options.

1. There will be a reinforcing consequence after the behavior.
2. There will be no reinforcing effect.
3. There will be an unfortunate consequence that will lead to weakened behavior in the future.

That is, the first option is an incentive. The behavior is more likely to occur because it has been reinforced in the past in the presence of the given stimulus.

The second option is overwhelming. The behavior will not occur, because in the past, under the influence of this stimulus, the extinction process occurred.

The third option is a prohibitive effect. Behavior will not occurbecause in the past, in the presence of this stimulus, an unpleasant stimulus appeared that weakened it.

Skinner's Radical Behaviorism

To understand what it is, you need to know its relation to the theory of Z. Freud. Skinner believed that he had made a colossal discovery that human behavior is largely driven by unconscious causes. However, he fundamentally disagreed with Freud about his invention of the mental apparatus and related processes to explain human behavior.

According to Skinner, the processes of behavior have nothing to do with behavior. Mental links create only a problem for explaining behavior.

Skinner believed that a reflex is the concept of the relationship between a stimulus and a response to that stimulus. Thus, if the organism receives reinforcement for its behavior, then it is strengthened. The body remembers them, and accordingly, there is a memorization and formation of a certain type of behavior. If there is no reinforcement, then behavioral acts that are not reinforced by anything disappear from the repertoire of the organism's behavior.

This can be called reflex behavior or involuntary. Its main difference from the operant is that the latter cannot be called. It is voluntary. And reflex behavior is caused by this or that stimulus, no matter, conditional or unconditional. This theory coincided with the opinion of the Russian scientist I. Pavlov.

Management

Education in the concept of behaviorism by B. Skinner is based on the fact that a person's personality isit is a set of physical reactions that occur in the presence of antecedents and consequences.

Human behavior is shaped by reinforcers. Most often, on the basis of the positive. It can also be formed under the influence of negative reinforcement.

Knowing this, human behavior can be controlled based on:

1. Positive reinforcement of the right responses. This contributes to their consolidation in the behavior of the individual.
2. The subjective value of reinforcement. That is, based on what is most stimulating for a given person.
3. Operant conditioning. The person knows that her behavior can be followed by negative reinforcement. To avoid negative consequences, a person is quite capable of giving up a particular type of behavior.
4. Subjective likelihood of consequences. If a person realizes that the probability of negative reinforcement from his actions is small, he is ready to take risks.
5. Imitation. People tend to unconsciously imitate those whom they consider their authority.
6. Personality type. It is much easier to manage those who tend to shift responsibility for their actions and actions to other people and life circumstances. This type of personality is called externals. Internals, on the contrary, take full responsibility for what happens to them only on themselves.

Beyond freedom and dignity

When talking about Skinner, it's hard not to mention this book. It overturns all the old values andideals of the common man. The author clearly and clearly outlines how people can be managed. What is money, for example. Are they a boon for the people or a way to influence the crowd? Or how to force a person to work? It is enough to pay him a monthly salary in such an amount that it is enough only for food. This technique has been known since ancient Rome, where people worked for food. Now rustling papers are playing its role.

What is the value of human life, and most importantly - how to reconsider your own views and decide to change your usual way of life? Burres Frederick Skinner gives specific and very clear answers to these questions in his book. For those who want to change something in their lives, it will be a great impetus to action.

Conclusion

So we've looked at Skinner's behaviorism in psychology. What is the main idea of the article? Human behavior is shaped by the external environment. This environment can be created artificially, and thus manage a person based on 6 principles.

Secondary thought - positive and negative reinforcement plays a huge role in the formation of behavioral acts. If you give a certain behavior positive reinforcement, then it will intensify in the future. Negative reinforcement, on the other hand, reduces or eliminates behavior in the future.