An elementary presentation of Operant Conditioning and its application to the learning situation. The presentation attempts to provide a brief history of the appearance of Operant Conditioning within behaviorism as a psychology theory and its subsequent linkage to different learning situations.

1. OPERANT CONDITIONING
Its Application to Learning
By Japhet Mchakulu

2. Origins and Proponents
1. Behaviorism as a learning theory emerged in
the 19th and early 20th Century.
2. It was mainly out of an attempt to make
psychology a legitimate scholarly discipline
(Goodwin, 2008).
3. Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov’s work on
reflexes, mind and body interaction.
a. His work on dogs provided the fundamental
principles.
b. Other psychologists such as John Watson and
Burrhus Frederic Skinner built on to systematic
behaviourism (Goodwin, 2008).

3. Operant Conditioning
1. Changing of behavior by the use of
reinforcement which is given after the desired
response (Skinner 1953).
2. Three types of responses or operant that can
follow behavior.
a. Neutral operants: responses that neither
increase nor decrease the recurrence of a
behavior being repeated.
b. Reinforcers: Responses that increase the
possibility of of a behavior being repeated
c. Punishers: Responses that decrease the
likelihood of a behavior being repeated.
Punishment weakens behavior.

4. Application to Learning
1. The concept of reinforcement is evident at all
educational levels including:
a. prevention of behaviour
b. verbal reminders
c. repeated reminders and consequences.
2. Behaviourism can be seen when learning to
execute tasks using tools such as computers
and software which have specific steps that
lead to certain results.

5. References
1. Goodwin, C.J. (2008). A History of
Modern Psychology (3rd ed.). Hoboken,
NJ: Wiley.
2. Skinner, B.F. (1953). Science and
Human Behavior. New York: Macmillan.