This document provides biographical information about B.F. Skinner and summarizes his theory of operant conditioning. It notes that Skinner studied psychology at Harvard, worked on Project Pigeon during WWII to train pigeons to guide bombs, and designed the "baby tender" crib. Regarding operant conditioning, it states that behavior is shaped by its consequences - reinforcement increases behavior, while punishment decreases it. Positive reinforcement involves adding a reward, while negative reinforcement removes an undesired stimulus. The document contrasts operant and classical conditioning and provides educational implications of applying reinforcement principles in classroom settings.

1. OPERANT
CONDITIONING
Behavioristic theory of learning by
B.F.Skinner

2. Burrhus Frederic Skinner
• Born March 20, 1904 – Died August 18, 1990 of
leukemia
• From a small Pennsylvania town of Susquehanna
• His father was a lawyer
• His mother was a housewife
• Received his BA in English from Hamilton College in
upstate New York
• Skinner started his career as an English major, writing
poems and short stories. After this...
• Skinner attended Harvard where he got his masters in
psychology (1930) and his doctorate (1931), and stayed
there to do research until 1936.
• Studied in the field of psychology (Behaviors)

3. Continued..
• In 1944, during World War II, Skinner worked on the
“Project Pigeon” which trained pigeons to direct bombs
by pecking at a target.
• In 1943, when Yvonne was pregnant for the second
time, Skinner designed the
“baby tender,”
a crib that was designed to be
safer than a normal crib.

4. His contributions

5. The most outstanding difference lies in the
order related with the initiation and
response, i.e., stimulus-response
mechanism.
Difference between classical and
operant conditioning

6. Classical v/s Operant
Conditioning

7. Classical v/s Operant
Conditioning

8. Skinner considers an operant as an act
which constitutes an organisms doing
something, e.g., raising the head, pushing a
lever etc.
Operant

9. Operant Conditioning
• Change in behavior is the outcome of an individual
responding to occurrences in the environment (stimuli)
• If the subject is correctly stimulated it will give the
suitable response
• When a stimulus-response pattern is reinforced
(rewarded), the individual is conditioned to respond in
a certain manner

10. Skinner’s box

12.  The concept of reinforcement is identical
to the presentation of a reward.
 A reinforcer is the stimulus, the
presentation or removal of which
increases the probability of a response
being repeated.
 There are two types of reinforcers:
o Positive reinforcer
o
Reinforcer and
Reinforcement

13. Types of reinforcers
Positive reinforcer Negative reinforcer

14. Punishment
 It occurs when a
learners behavior
decreases as result
of being presented
with an undesirable
consequence.
 Weakening of
behavior by the
elimination of
something desirable
or the inability to get
positive
reinforcement.
Presentation of
punishment
Removal of
punishment

15. Reinforcement or punishment?
 Steps to keep in mind:
1. Ask yourself if the consequence leads to an
increase or decrease in behavior.
BehaviorBehavior

16. Positive or negative?
2. What action was involved in delivering the
consequence?

17. Example:
 Am ild e le ctricalcurre nt is adm iniste re d to a
rat's brain afte r e ach tim e the rat pre sse s a
bar. Fo llo wing the e le ctricalstim ulatio n, the
rat's bar pre ssing incre ase s.

18. Cont.…
 The behavior increases, therefore we are
dealing with reinforcement.
 The consequence is given; therefore, we are
dealing with a positive consequence.
 The consequence is positive reinforcement.

19. Now try this..
 Linda has a co ld. She take s an antihistam ine
m e dicatio n, afte r which he r runny no se , ache s,
and pains g o away. Linda is no w m o re like ly to
take an antihistam ine whe n she g e ts a co ld in
the future .

20. Cont.
 The behavior(increases/decreases), therefore
we are dealing
with (reinforcement/punishment).
 The consequence is (given/taken); therefore,
we are dealing with
a (positive/negative) consequence.
 The consequence is (positive
reinforcement/negative reinforcement).

21. Cont.
 The behavior increases, therefore we are
dealing with reinforcement.
 The consequence is given; therefore, we are
dealing with a positive consequence.
 The consequence is positive reinforcement.

22. Now try this..
 Two te ache rs we re discussing the ir re spe ctive
m e tho ds o f handling Do nna , a disruptive fo urth
g rade r. Bo the te ache rs’ classe s we re o rde rly and
attractive , and the use o f tim e -o ut se e m e d to be a
wo rthy try. The y bo th im ple m e nte d the te chniq ue ,
ye t it wo rke d be tte r in Mrs. O te ro ’s class than in
Mr. Brant’s class. The y wo nde re d why.
Ido n’t kno w, ” Mrs. O te ro co m m e nte d. “whe n
she m isbe have d, Ise nt he r to the tim e -o ut are a
and to ld he r that she co uld co m e o ut whe n she
was re ady to be have . ”

23. Cont.
“That doesn’t make sense to me,” Mr. Brant
responded. “I think you’re too easy on her. I
sent her to the area and told her I would come
back and get her when it looked like she was
ready to behave. Still, her behavior is
improving faster in your class.”

24. Mrs. Otero’s class

25.  The behavior increases, therefore we are
dealing with reinforcement.
 The consequence is taken away ; therefore,
we are dealing with a negative consequence.
 The consequence is negative reinforcement.

26. Mr. Brant’s class

27.  The behavior decreases, therefore we are
dealing with punishment.
 The consequence is taken way; therefore, we
are dealing with a negative consequence.
 The consequence is negative punishment.

28. The consequence matrix

31. Reinforcement schedules

33. Educational implications
1. Use reinforcement rather than punishment
whenever possible. When punishment is
necessary, use removal rather than
presentation punishment.
 Example : giving tickets for task behavior.
 Example: giving behavior points initially, but
they loose points if they break a
rule/misbehave.

34. Educational implications
2. Carefully select reinforcers for their potency.

35. Educational implications
3. Promote generalization and discrimination by
encouraging students to make comparisons
and to look for relationships among examples
and other items of information.

36. Educational implications
4. Use appropriate schedules of reinforcement.

37. Educational implications
5. Provide clear informative feedback on student
work.

38. Educational implications
6. Use praise judiciously.

39. Educational implications
7. Shape desired behaviors.

40. Educational implications
8. Provide cues for appropriate behavior.

41. Classical v/s operant
conditioning
1. It helps in the
learning of
respondent behavior.
2. It is called “S” type
conditioning to
emphasize the
importance of the
stimulus in eliciting
the desired response.
1. It helps in the
learning of operant
behavior.
2. It is called “R” type
conditioning to
emphasize on the
response.
Classical conditioning Operant conditioning

42. Classical v/s operant
conditioning
3. In this type of
conditioning,
beginning is being
made with the help
of specific stimuli
that bring certain
responses.
3. Here beginning is
made with the
responses as they
occur “naturally” or if
they don’t occur
naturally, shaping
them into existence.
Classical conditioning Operant conditioning

43. Classical v/s operant
conditioning
4. Here strengthening of
conditioning is usually
determined by the
magnitude of the
conditioned response,
i.e., the amount of
saliva (as in the case
of the classical
experiment of Pavlov
with the dog).
4. Here strength of
conditioning is
shown by the
response rate i.e.
the rate at which an
operant response
occurs as a result of
some reinforcement.
Classical conditioning Operant conditioning

44.
A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply
be the best one can do under the
circumstances. The real mistake is to stop
trying.
B. F. Skinner

45. Compiled and presented by:
AltheaMichaels
DimpleGada