I B F Skinner Research Paper

Improved Essays
Show More
I, B.F. Skinner, believe that the cause of abnormal behavior is not due to any psychoanalytical or biological cause, rather they are formed based on a person’s history of conditioning. Through my studies I have found that behaviors that bring about positive consequences have a greater likelihood of being repeated than behaviors that bring about negative consequences. This is known as operant conditioning, the shaping of behaviors by providing rewards to reinforce desired behaviors and providing punishment for undesired behaviors. This system of operant conditioning works on voluntary behaviors and there has been success when it’s been used for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Disruptive

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Sigmund Freud's Inignificant Errors
    • 1164 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Sigmund Freud's Inignificant Errors

    According to Freud, some common distractors such as illness and fatigue always have an effect on some actions. For instance, fatigue mainly affects mastery of content and, as such, may reduce the typing accuracy of a person. What is more, Skinner also observes that the stimulus influences the repetition of a behavior. In turn, the stimulus depends on the form of the reward: a positive reward promotes repetitiveness in a behavior while a punishment discourages it (Skinner, 1955). Some biological factors such as hormones and neuroticism may increase the propensity for negative behavior, which in turn, results in…

    • 1164 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Theory Of Superstitious Behavior
    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Theory Of Superstitious Behavior

    The theory behind Skinner’s empirical study was that individuals is subject to superstitious behavior, an act in which one establishes a conditioned behavioral response to a drive regardless of there being no apparent correlation between the behavior and the drive. To test his hypothesis, Skinner established an experiment with pigeons. The pigeons were famished and then put into a cage which had a food hopper attached to it. The food hopper was controlled by a clock, and would therefore give food periodically. Photographs were taken at some intervals to compare the behavior through the time of the experiment.…

    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    John Broadus Watson's Techniques Of Classical Conditioning
    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages

    John Broadus Watson's Techniques Of Classical Conditioning

    The terms used in classical conditioning theories are deliberately abstract so that their use can uncover the common principles behind different behaviors and behavioral challenges, like obesity, smoking, drug dependence, and anxiety disorders (Bouton81). We should give thanks to Watson’s discoveries of classic conditioning, as it provides us with very important techniques to help with modern day behavior challenges. I can say that I have used Watson’s techniques of classical conditioning on my children and it was very effective in modifying the unwanted response they displayed. Behaviors are very prevalent in today’s society and can use change. Especially, maladaptive behaviors such as drug use, anxiety and depression just to name a few.…

    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    B. F. Skinner's Operant Conditioning
    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages

    B. F. Skinner's Operant Conditioning

    B.F. Skinner is credited as the creator of operant conditioning, which is the science of altering the mannerisms of animals or humans through reinforcement. Rather than focusing on the complex thinking that spawns an idea or mannerism, Skinner focused on mannerisms that actually occurred. He discovered that animals respond best when an intentionally performed action has a direct influence on the world around them; these actions were dubbed operants. When operants were reinforced the associated action was more likely to continue; otherwise they would slowly stop. Both positive and negative reinforcement are effective reinforcers of actions.…

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    B F Skinner Radical Behaviorism Analysis
    • 1074 Words
    • 4 Pages

    B F Skinner Radical Behaviorism Analysis

    Thoughts and emotions can play just as big a role in behavioral outcomes as conditioned learning does. The greatest flaw in B.F. Skinner’s concept of radical behaviorism is his thinking that internal mental processes are irrelevant to behavioral outcomes. Skinner’s concept of behaviorism has the concept of tabula rasa, that a newborn baby’s brain is a blank slate, that the child has no organized behavior. He believed that all brains worked in the same way, that performing psychological experiments on a mouse’s brain would have the same effects as a human brain would. There are huge differences between the environments Skinner performed his experiments in and the environment of the everyday life of human, differences that Skinner did not take…

    • 1074 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Pavlov Contributions
    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Pavlov Contributions

    Skinner, and his Skinner box (a variation of the puzzle box), would not have ever happened if not for the article published about Ivan Pavlov. Another famous psychologist that was largely influenced by Pavlov was John B. Watson. He went on to do research on conditioning to elicit behavior; most of us know the “Little Albert” study, where Watson made an infant terrified of a little furry animal by pairing it with a very loud noise, or an aversive stimulus. The infant cried whenever he heard the noise, and eventually he associated the animal with the loud noise, so that whenever he saw the animal, he would begin to…

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Sechenov's Theory Of Behavior Modification
    • 2237 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Sechenov's Theory Of Behavior Modification

    Furthermore, Skinner set out to identify the processes which made certain operant behaviors more or less likely to occur. He is regarded as the father of operant conditioning, but his work was based on Thorndike’s Law of Effect. Specifically, Skinner introduced the term “reinforcement” to Thorndike’s law. In other words, behavior which is reinforced tends to be repeated; it is strengthened. On the contrary, behavior which is not reinforced is weakened; it tends to die out or be extinguished.…

    • 2237 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Sigmund Bandura And Skinner B. F) On The Development Of Personality?
    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Sigmund Bandura And Skinner B. F) On The Development Of Personality?

    F Skinner in his behavior or learning condition theory will explains that an individual’s personality development emerges as a result of their mutual attraction with the environment. According to Skinner, the development of the obsessive-compulsive disorder is brought about by the need for attention and recognition. By this approach, an individual develops and allows bad characters or behavior to serve as an underlining factor in guiding and developing their personality. For example, a child cries to attract attention that they are hungry or sleepy.…

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Skinner's Functional Analysis
    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Skinner's Functional Analysis

    Moreover, infant behaviors that are attended to and effectively responded to by the caregiver are naturally reinforced by the immediacy and relevance of the caregiver’s response which is the essence of natural consequences, a critical concept in Skinner’s analysis that has been missed or misconstrued in many attempts to review, critique, or interpret Verbal Behavior (McLaughlin, 2010). The last elements that Skinner believes is vital to the functional analysis approach is selective reinforcement. Selective reinforcement is equivalent to the natural selection that perpetuates useful variations in traits within a species, for example the caregiver does not need to be conscious of “selecting” one response over another; children’s responses are selectively reinforced by virtue of communicating more effectively and evoking favorable outcomes (McLaughlin, 2010). In brief, the article ingenuously states that Skinner’s functional analysis theory for language development is founded on research and studies on what is able to be observed and manipulated.…

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    B. F. Skinner's Two Types Of Respondent Behavior
    • 786 Words
    • 4 Pages

    B. F. Skinner's Two Types Of Respondent Behavior

    B. F. Skinner took psychology and made it into a science. He believed that it was not internal forces that directed the personality but external stimuli. Instead of studying people he chose to study animals, rats and pigeons. It is interesting how he took an idea that worked to train animals and transferred that information to train people. Using Ivan Pavlov’s experiment conditioning dogs with a bell, hungry rats in a box and hours of research, he decided that the basic drive for behavior is reinforced.…

    • 786 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Compare And Contrast Social Cognitive And Behaviorism
    • 1250 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Compare And Contrast Social Cognitive And Behaviorism

    This was not a resulting behavior of the environment. Unlike other behaviorist, “Skinner rejected the view that his ideas constituted a personality theory. He saw himself as replacing the personality theories with a new way of thinking about behavior. ” (Cervone & Pervin, 2008, p. 374) Like Bandura, Skinner believes that shaping was the reason to complex behavior. In other words, the test subject would "shape" itself until it matches a desired behavior.…

    • 1250 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Argumentative Essay On B. F. Skinner
    • 1067 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Argumentative Essay On B. F. Skinner

    There are many instances which prove B.F. Skinner’s theory to be true. It is important for us to grow up and live in a safe, loving environment in order to live a happy and successful life. B.F. Skinner’s theory of behaviorism analyzes one 's behavior then explains why one behaves in the way they do. It is a radical view compared to other theories of behaviorism. The…

    • 1067 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Examples Of Operant Conditioning
    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Examples Of Operant Conditioning

    F. Skinner's most famous experiment was possibly the most controversial and informative study conducted, when it comes to studying the voluntary behavior of candidates, by using operant conditioning. What Skinner did was to conduct an experiment on animals : he was simply placing them inside a 'Skinner Box'. Animals such as lab rats were commonly used. The purpose of Skinners box was to study behavioural conditioning on animals and teaching them to perform (and repeat) certain actions responding to stimuli, such as light or sound signals. This is referred to as shaping, the reinforcement of successive approximations to the desired behavior.…

    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Operant Conditioning Theory
    • 1087 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Operant Conditioning Theory

    B.F. Skinner’ Operant Conditioning is defined as a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. Through Operant Conditioning, an association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior. Skinner theory focused on Positive Reinforcement, Negative reinforcement, and punishment. The major concepts of Skinner’s operant Conditioning including certain things to ensure his theory were accurate. Skinner used a hungry rat, A lever that dispenses food when it was tampered with, an electric current, and a light.…

    • 1087 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    B. F. Skinner's Study
    • 1434 Words
    • 6 Pages

    B. F. Skinner's Study

    Skinner has developed his theory of operant conditioning, also known as instrumental conditioning, which is the current dominant representative of behaviourism. Contrary to Pavlovian, Skinnerian has concentrated on the relationship between voluntary behaviours and responses. His empirical study proposed that reinforcement, either positive or negative, indicates the probability of repetition of a behaviour in the future (Skinner, 1974). ‘Reinforcer’ functions as a determinant for action, intervenes and decides learners’ future or subsequent behaviour. Bandura (cited in Bigge, 1982), as of Skinner, values the importance of the impact of reinforcement upon the connection between behaviour and its consequences.…

    • 1434 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings