Reinforcement Theory
Katie LeBlanc
Psychology of Personality
B. F. Skinner believed in behavioristic theories. When learning about his behaviorist theories, the person gets a better understanding of the role in learning about the development of personality. Skinner’s theories were that conditions and situations affect the learning of a behavior. Skinner ultimately defines personality with terms of behavior, both positive and negative. So one would have to wonder if reinforcements have the same power to control human behaviors the same way they can control a laboratory pig or house pet like a dog.
B. F. Skinner (1904-1990) was born to two hard working parents in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. Skinner was taught at a young age to fear …show more content…
The Skinner Box was a metal box with a lever that a starving rat was placed in. When the rat pressed the lever, it would receive a food pellet. The food would be the reinforcement of pressing the metal bar. So the rat was ultimately conditioned that every time it pressed the metal bar it received more food. This is an example of positive type of conditioning. Dogs are also easily trained with positive reinforcements. There are dogs who are trained to sniff out bombs or drugs as their job. When they are able to detect either one, they receive a treat for a job well done. People are also able to condition their house pets to let them know when they need to go outside to go to the bathroom. For people who do not have outside yards, they are also able to teach the dogs to use an inside litter box.(Schulze, …show more content…
When parents are potty training their children, they give them reinforcements, like small candies, when they tell them they need to use the bathroom and not have any “accidents.” As the children get older, the positive reinforcements change to what matters more to them. Teenagers can be conditioned to get good grades while in high school or they will not be able to drive the car when they get their licenses. This would be considered a type of negative reinforcement. The threat of the adolescent losing their privilege to drive will give them the motivation to do well in school. College kids can be reinforced by the parents paying for college if they get good grades and don’t engage in the alternative college lifestyle of partying instead of focusing on their grades. There is constant conditioning and reinforcements that we face several times throughout our
Katie LeBlanc
Psychology of Personality
B. F. Skinner believed in behavioristic theories. When learning about his behaviorist theories, the person gets a better understanding of the role in learning about the development of personality. Skinner’s theories were that conditions and situations affect the learning of a behavior. Skinner ultimately defines personality with terms of behavior, both positive and negative. So one would have to wonder if reinforcements have the same power to control human behaviors the same way they can control a laboratory pig or house pet like a dog.
B. F. Skinner (1904-1990) was born to two hard working parents in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. Skinner was taught at a young age to fear …show more content…
The Skinner Box was a metal box with a lever that a starving rat was placed in. When the rat pressed the lever, it would receive a food pellet. The food would be the reinforcement of pressing the metal bar. So the rat was ultimately conditioned that every time it pressed the metal bar it received more food. This is an example of positive type of conditioning. Dogs are also easily trained with positive reinforcements. There are dogs who are trained to sniff out bombs or drugs as their job. When they are able to detect either one, they receive a treat for a job well done. People are also able to condition their house pets to let them know when they need to go outside to go to the bathroom. For people who do not have outside yards, they are also able to teach the dogs to use an inside litter box.(Schulze, …show more content…
When parents are potty training their children, they give them reinforcements, like small candies, when they tell them they need to use the bathroom and not have any “accidents.” As the children get older, the positive reinforcements change to what matters more to them. Teenagers can be conditioned to get good grades while in high school or they will not be able to drive the car when they get their licenses. This would be considered a type of negative reinforcement. The threat of the adolescent losing their privilege to drive will give them the motivation to do well in school. College kids can be reinforced by the parents paying for college if they get good grades and don’t engage in the alternative college lifestyle of partying instead of focusing on their grades. There is constant conditioning and reinforcements that we face several times throughout our