B.F. Skinner's operant conditioning theory, introduced in 1938, posits that behavior is a response to rewards and punishments rather than mere reflexes to stimuli. His experiments with rats and pigeons demonstrated how reinforcement shapes behavior, emphasizing concepts like behavior modification and the importance of consequences in learning. While the theory has strengths in shaping behavior, it also faces criticism for neglecting student engagement and fostering a dichotomy in behavior classification.

1. OPERANT CONDITIONING THEORY
- B.F. SKINNER’S
Submitted
by
Maheswari.S
St. Ignatius College of
Education,Tirunelveli

2. INTRODUCTION
 This theory was given by skinner in 1938.
 According to him, the behaviour of human being or animal is
not a passive reflex.
 Skinner revolt against no stimulus, no response theory.
 In their life we do not wait for things to happen.
 Most of our responses cannot be attributed to known
stimulus.
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3. OPERANT CONDITIONING
Operant conditioning is the type of learning in which
behaviours are emitted to earn rewards or avoid
punishments.
“Instrumental Learning”
 Operant -> Operant is an act which constitute an
organism for doing something.
 Responses -> Skinner put forward the idea that most of
our responses cannot be attributed to unknown stimulus.
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7. SKINNER’S EXPERIMENT WITH RAT
 Skinner developed a special apparatus known as skinner’s box.
 This box has a grid floor, a system of light or sound produced at the
time of delivery of a pellet of food, in the food cup, on the pressing
of lever.
 Skinner placed a hungry rat in the box.
 In this experiment, pressure on the bar in a certain way, by the rat
could result in the production of a click and emergence of a food
pellet.
 The rat was rewarded for each proper pressing of the lever.
 The rat repeated this process, and ultimately learned to press the
lever as desired by the experimenter.
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8. EXPERIMENT ON RAT
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9. ANOTHER EXPERIMENT
 Skinner conducted another experiment on pigeon, the
pigeon moves about the cage.
 It was trained to peck a disk.
 Every time when it pecked, food was supplied.
 Thus, food reinforced the behaviour of pecking the disk,
called an operant.
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10. EXPERIMENT ON PIGEON
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11. EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
 Successive approximation
 Eliminating negative behaviour through extinction
 Reinforcement
 Behaviour modification
 Basis for programmed instruction
 Behaviour therapy.
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12. STRENGTHS
 This theory is very helpful in raising children and when
teaching them.
 The low grade is negative reinforcement for not studying, and
vice versa.
 The good behaviour produces a wanted result and the bad
behaviour produces an unwanted result.
 Using positive and negative reinforcement methods may after a
child’s behaviour problems.
 The child will mentally make an association between good
behaviour with reward and bad behaviour with punishment.
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13. WEAKNESSES
 This theory seems to deal strictly with distinct behaviour;
good and bad.
 It seems as if there be no in between.
 The students need to be able to have group discussions, and
the encouragement to figure out on their own by
experimentation and search.
 This theory lacks engagement and motivation of the
students which is a big weakness, in my mind.
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14. CONCLUSION
 Both the experiment clearly explains the working of operant
conditioning.
 The important part in any operant conditioning learning is to
recognize the operant behaviour and the consequence resulted
in that particular environment.
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15. REFERENCES
 Sharma, R.A.(2008). Fundamentals of Educational
Psychology
 Mangal, S.K. (2015) Advanced Educational Psychology
 www.simplypsychology.org
 www.psychology.wikia.com
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