Operant Conditioning Vs. Positive Reinforcement

Operant conditioning is a type of learning where behavior is controlled by consequences.
The purpose is to strengthen the behavior and make it happen more often.
There are different consequences you can use are positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. If you are trying to teach someone something the best way is to use positive reinforcement. Research shows that rewards are more effective than punishment. When using positive reinforcement, it helps people develop good self- concept. It is also a great way to motivate people to do the right thing. When you are using a positive reinforcement you need to make sure the reinforcer is given right away. If you do not, you will not get the results …show more content…
The box was similar to a Thorndike’s puzzle box. It was used to help him study more on operant conditioning. One of his researches was teaching a rat to press a level every time he wanted food. The rat would first go around the box exploring everything randomly. The rat would eventually end up pressing the level down. When that would happen the food will come out. The rat will not learn right away but in time will and press down the level every time he wants the food to come out.

An example using operant conditioning can be making a plan to teach a young child to clean their room. To do this you need to start by identifying what learning style is best for your child. The four different learning styles are visual, aural, verbal, and physical. Visual learning is when someone prefers seeing image or pictures. Verbal is for people that like to learn with writing or speeches. Physical learning is best for someone who prefers using their body, hands and sense of touch. The last learning style is aural and is best for someone who prefers learning with sound or music. After finding what learning style is best for your child you can start teaching him how you want their