Learning, Knowledge and Human Development MOOC’s Updates

Operant Conditioning

One key concept of behaviorism is “operant conditioning.” Simply put, this is where positive and negative reinforcements are carried out based on actions; that’s to say, rewards and punishments are given based on behavior.

 

In the field of education, this concept of behaviorism is often used. Students are rewarded for their high achievements (i.e. scholarships and awards); likewise, students that are doing poorly in school either fail a subject and will need to repeat the class or will be sent to detention for wrongful behavior in school.

 

According to Skinner, punishment in operant conditioning is also broken down to positive punishment and negative punishment. Positive punishment is through application, whereas negative punishment is through removal. An example of positive punishment is going to detention; an example of negative punishment is not letting the student partake in any extra-curricular activities.

 

Source: https://www.verywellmind.com/operant-conditioning-a2-2794863