Learning Situation(Understanding the Principles by Using an Everyday Event) - Essay Example

In this paper, the author shall demonstrate how instrumental conditioning occurs in everyday situations; and shall discuss how the different aspects of this theory may be applied to the example used. The example that shall be used is based on the author’s personal experience in learning to bake a particular type of biscuit. During the events that led to learning of the behaviors associated with successfully baking this biscuit, the author experienced positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment; and was able to successfully complete learning since the rewards associated with learning were greater than the punishments.

Example of an every-day experience of learning Suppose an individual were to start learning how to bake a particular type of biscuit. This individual has a particular preference for the said biscuit; but as it is no longer produced, has been experiencing negative emotions associated with the frustration of the desire to eat it. If this person finds the recipe to make this product, he/she would be motivated to attempt to make the biscuits, because learning to bake the biscuit would rid them of the said negative experiences.

Simultaneously, the person expects that he/she would feel satiated and happy at obtaining a much wanted product. This individual starts to follow the recipe; but skips a few steps in order to complete the task faster. He/she also does not measure items properly. When the biscuits are baked, they do not taste right. The person now feels bad for having been imprecise. The next time he/she tries the recipe, the individual follows the recipe perfectly, and the biscuits are successfully baked. The person now offers these biscuits to others, and receives praise from them, which encourages the repetition of the behavior.

Over time, this individual develops a routine in which he/she often bakes these biscuits by following the recipe precisely. Application of the Theory of Instrumental Conditioning In this situation, the person has experienced positive reinforcement to follow the recipe as well as to repeat the task of baking biscuits in the form of positive emotional responses and the experience of satiation. They received negative reinforcement (Domjan, 2003) when successfully completing the task removed a negative experience – the longing to eat these biscuits.

The individual received punishment (Domjan, 2003) for not following the recipe; and thus the subsequent behavior was shaped (Hogg, & Vaughan, 2010) so that the individual in question modified their behavior to show precision the second time. Reward also played a role in establishing this behavior so that it is repeated (Hogg & Vaughan, 2010) rather than being a one-time event. Positive reinforcement occurs when an individual consistently experiences something positive as a result of having exhibited a particular behavior (Domjan, 2003).

By helping the individual develop an association between the exhibited behavior and a positive outcome, positive reinforcement helps in increasing the likelihood that the behavior shall be exhibited again (Hogg & Vaughan, 2010). In the present example, the individual experienced pleasure and satiation of cravings when they followed the recipe and made the biscuits. These positive experiences encouraged the individual to repeat the behavior of making biscuits by following the recipe. Each time he/she would do so, he/she experienced pleasure and satiation, and this continued to encourage the repetition of behavior.

Negative reinforcement occurs when exhibiting a particular beha