Personality theory | Management homework help

4.2 Discussion: Looking for Operant Conditioning

Getting Started

B. F. Skinner was perhaps the most famous psychologist of the twentieth century. That may sound strange considering that Sigmund Freud was at the height of his popularity in the early part of that same century. But Skinner had one massive tool for getting his ideas out to the public that Freud didn’t: television. As droll a person as Skinner was in real life, he became psychology’s first “rock star” through exposure on television in the 1950s and 1960s.

Skinner’s most important and lasting contribution to psychology was a concept called operant conditioning. Simply stated, operant conditioning is a means to modify behavior through the use of reinforcement. According to Skinner, to reinforce a behavior is to encourage that behavior to be repeated. For example, if child remains quiet during a church service, the parent might give the child a piece of candy for “being good.” The candy encourages (or reinforces) the child to “be good” again the next time they are in church.

The parent is modifying or shaping the child’s behavior in much the same way a circus trainer teaches animals certain tricks. For example, if the trainer wants a dog to roll over and the dog does it, the trainer gives the dog a treat to “reinforce” the behavior. This encourages the dog to do it again to get another treat. So, you reinforce the behavior you want and don’t reinforce the behavior you find unhelpful.

Though Skinner’s behaviorism and his concept of operant conditioning aren’t typically labeled as such, the application of his theory can be seen in virtually every sector of modern culture. Here are some additional examples:

· An employee goes to work every day and receives a paycheck at the end of the week.

· A student’s high score on a test results in praise from his teacher.

· A customer gets a free cup of coffee for earning loyalty points from the business owner.

In each case, the behavior is rewarded or reinforced. Therefore, it is likely to be repeated to keep getting the favorable result.

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

· Observe how operant conditioning is used in the larger culture.

Resources

· Textbook: 
Personality Psychology: Understanding Yourself and Others

· Video: Operant Conditioning

· eBook: Optimism advantage: 50 simple truths to transform your attitudes and actions into results

· Website: Academic Writer

· Website: OCLS Evaluating Sources Page

Background Information

In this discussion, you have the opportunity to make your own observations about how operant conditioning and positive reinforcement are at work in your sphere of life. You will be looking for at least one example of how operant conditioning applies in each of the following realms: relationships, the workplace, and education. When you look closely, you will begin seeing it everywhere. You will then share some of your observations with others in the course and do some critical thinking about how operant conditioning fits into a biblical worldview.

Before you begin this discussion, read Chapter 8 in the textbook and watch the video, “Operant Conditioning.” A related concept that applies to behaviorism theory is called learned optimism. There is an infographic titled “Learned Optimism: Overcoming Learned Helplessness and Procrastination” that will summarize this concept and how it applies to behavioral change.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. Read Chapter 8 in your textbook and the transcript for video, Operant Conditioning (10:25 min; Segment 2).

a.

Transcript of the video
.

3. Navigate to the discussion topic and respond to the following prompts:

a. Give an example of how you’ve seen operant conditioning at work in the larger culture in these three areas: relationships, the workplace, and education.

b. Explain in some detail how operant conditioning is being applied in each of your examples. Bring in terms and concepts from the theory to support your points.

c. What do you see as one advantageous use of operant conditioning? How can it be used effectively to facilitate learning?

d. How might operant conditioning be misused or conflict with a biblical worldview?

4. Your initial post should be between 400 and 500 words.

5. Your initial post is due by the end of the fourth day of the workshop.

6. Read and respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings, as well as instructor follow-up questions directed to you, by the end of the workshop.

7. All references and citations should be in APA format.

a. For information on how to cite sources and format a paper properly, review the 

Academic Writer
 website or the OCLS 

APA Style Page
.

b. For information on the criteria for credible Internet research websites, review the 

OCLS Evaluating Sources page
.

Your postings should also:

c. Be well developed by providing clear answers with evidence of critical thinking.

d. Add greater depth to the discussion by introducing new ideas.

image1.png

image2.png

image3.png