B.F Skinner's Theory Of Operant Conditioning

Theory of Operant Conditioning is another variety of the behavioral theories of learning.  It was first introduced by B.F Skinner in 1938. This theory tells us that our behaviors are determined by their consequences. In other words, we behave according to the feedbacks we receive from others in return for our actions. For example if we perform an action, which brings us positive consequences, it is likely that we will repeat this action again in future. On the other hand, if our action brings us negative consequences, it is possible that we will quit this action and avoid it in future.

  Skinner used four key terms for this purpose, which are given as under:

1. Positive Reinforcement: Giving something pleasant like verbal praise or some tangible rewards after a desired behavior is positive reinforcement. It will increase the possibility of the occurrence of this behavior in future.
2. Negative Reinforcement: Taking away something unpleasant after a desired behavior like exemption from corporal punishment, remission of fine or reduction in the working   hours of someone is negative reinforcement. It will increase the possibility of the occurrence of the desired behavior in future.
3. Positive Punishment: Presenting something unpleasant like corporal punishment or fining after an undesired behavior. It will decrease the possibility of the occurrence of the undesired behavior.
4. Negative Punishment: Taking away something pleasant like taking away some facility or degrading someone from higher rank after an undesired behavior. It will decrease the possibility of the occurrence of the undesired behavior.

Skinner says that positive reinforcement is more effective than negative reinforcement. Moreover, the effects of positive reinforcement are more durable than the effects of negative reinforcement.  

Nowadays the principles of behavioral theories of learning are widely used in the fields of psychology and education like behavioral modification, classroom management and instruction management. 

Skinner’s theory of Operant Conditioning is depicted by the following Stimulus­­­‑Response-Stimulus relationship.

S₁➺ R ➺ S₂

Where    S₁ = Discriminative Stimulus

              S₂ = Contingent Stimulus

              R = Response

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Pavlov's Theory Of Classical Conditioning

Theory of Classical Conditioning was first introduced by a Russian physiologist  Ivan Pavlov in 1927.  Pavlov was interested in knowing about the role of nerves in the digestion system of mammals. He used dogs as subjects in his study. When experimenting with dogs, he fitted a tube in the salivary gland of a dog for observing the production of saliva in its mouth.   Pavlov first noted that saliva was automatically produced in the mouth of a dog, simply at the time of eating food. He termed this behavior, the production of saliva, of a dog as unlearned or unconditioned response to an unconditioned stimulus, food. However, after some time, he noted that the dog started producing saliva merely by seeing Pavlov’s lab assistant who used to serve food to it. Pavlov was astonished by this change in the dog’s behavior.  He discovered that the same behavior, production of saliva, could be elicited from the dog by using some other stimulus instead of the food. Pavlov began to use a bell as a stimulus for this purpose. He named the bell as a neutral stimulus, which by itself had no role in the elicitation of saliva. However, when he started ringing the bell before presenting the food to the dog, the dog began to associate the sound of a bell with the presentation of food, so it began to produce saliva merely by hearing the sound of a bell. Pavlov termed this response of a dog as a conditioned response. The dog behaved, produced saliva, in this way because it learned that it would be served food just after the ring of a bell. Therefore, it conditioned the production of saliva with the ring of a bell.

Pavlov generalized his findings for human being and concluded that human’s behaviors are the results of various stimuli, which are present in our environment. He also discovered that we could control human’s behavior by using different stimuli simply by pairing them with each other.

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