The Operant Conditioning Theory
B.F. Skinner developed this theory, he was using rats, and pigeons to understand the theory that behaviour is learnt through good behaviour getting positive reinforcement, when behaviour is bad negative reinforcement are used to remove the inappropriate behaviour. For example, the rat in the box presses a lever and gets food – positive reinforcement. Electric shock on the floor of box, deactivated by pressing the lever this becomes positive reinforcement and so do the right thing the negative reinforcement soon stops. However, desired or good behaviour soon stopped once the food (reward) was removed. This type of conditioning is seen in rewards or punishment system when working with children.
Unit 8: Assignment 8.1b
Overcoming a phobia
A phobia is an anxiety disorder, which is a persistent irrational fear response to an object or situation. There are many types of phobias including specific and social phobias. Specific phobias involve fear of specific objects and situations. Among the more common types are arachnophobia, claustrophobia and aerophobia. Social phobias fear humiliation in public places, for example like speaking to the public and so they are afraid that people will see them expressing their fear, through the response such as blushing or stuttering. As a result, they try to avoid certain social activities and situation.
The phobia that I am going to look at is Arachnophobia, which is fear of spiders. If I told you that someone ten miles away had a small spider in his or her loft, it would not worry you. There is some level of exposure to spiders, which is not a problem for you. It might be that a tiny spider in a jar in the next room might not be a problem, or that a photo or drawing of a spider would not be frightening. Whatever that level of tolerable exposure is, it is worth doing a few experiments to determine where the level is.
Even if, to people who are not scared of spiders, the situations seem absurd, it is worth examining where the tolerable level is for you.
Now this is the interesting bit, because even without any effort or having to put up with being scared of these things, your tolerance starts to improve. Just by thinking about it and realising that the spider less than 2mm across 200 metres away was not scary on that day, a week later you can examine the state of the phobia again and realise that a 3mm spider 150m away would not be too bad. This goes in the diary.
Examining small (possibly dead) spiders in jars at a distance might not be scary, or at least within limits. This is worth practising to see where the limit is. Yet again, just by observing this, the fear reduces and the limits extend. At no time in this do you need to be actually frightened by anything.
After a while, even if it takes months, you will be amazed, not at how unafraid you are of spiders now, but by how your earlier writings about the fear seem much more severe looking back. Therefore, you are being cured of the phobia.
Unit 8: Assignment 8.1c
Challenging behaviour
Intro
The realisation that behaving in a certain way produces a response from others is something babies learn early in their lives. Early childhood games like pee-a-boo, demonstrate that if the child reacts in a particular way, for example smiles and laughs, this is likely to result in the other person smiling or laughing and continuing the game. This is an example of a positive reinforcement, as the child learns that this behaviour result in a pleasant outcome (the other person learns it and is likely to repeat it). A negative reinforcement will result when the child behaves in a particular way in reaction to something unpleasant happening. For example, when a baby is uncomfortable like is in pain or need a nappy change because it is wet or dirty then the baby will cry. Therefore, the baby’s cry alerts the parents, give the baby the needs that the baby wants, and responded by meeting those needs. If a tantrum and the parent or care giver pacifies the child by giving them something they like such as a sweet, or by letting them have want they want, this act as a positive reinforcement, as they are being rewarded for their behaviour. The child learns that their behaviour (a tantrum), gets want they want a sweet, and so they will repeat the behaviour. The use of bribery in an attempt to change the behaviour will not result in behaviour change or modification. When bribery is used, all that learned is what do to please the person who holds the rewards, not the preferred behaviour.
If changing or modifying behaviour is the desired outcome, there is no mention of reward at the time and this only comes after the desired behaviour has been demonstrated and linked to behaviour. For example, if an adult asks a child to tidy those toys up, praise should be given telling them how well they did this and how helpful it is only after they have completed the task. On the other hand, when shaping behaviour is the desired outcome, the reward could be indicated when the request for desired behaviour is made. For examples, when you have tidied all the toys up we can go walk to the park and play on the swings. It is important that the desired outcome is clear and that positive reinforcement is not confused with bribery or that punishment is seen as negative reinforcement.
