Application of Operant Conditioning - Coursework Example

Running Head: OPERANT CONDITIONING Operant Conditioning of the of Application of Operant Conditioning Operant ConditioningOperant conditioning is the learning of an individuals behavior modified by the consequences where the behavior can change in frequency, form or strength (Coon & Mitterer, 2008).Application of Operant ConditioningA reinforcement experiment was done where the purpose was to train a bird to peck at a button. In the experiment, whenever the bird pecks the button, food pellet was given (Catania & Skinner, 1998).

Reinforcement scheduleIn this experiment, schedule of Continuous reinforcement (CRF) is used (Hill, 2001). Continuous reinforcement is a schedule in which the desired response is followed by reinforcement i.e. each time the bird pecks the button, it gets a food pellet.Explanation of chartThe above chart shows the cumulative response of bird’s pecking of the button. The Cumulative recorder was with 60 seconds bin number of responses/ number of reinforcement (Psych Lab online, n.d.). The first half of the graph shows responses when food pellet is given to the bird every time it peck the button (when reinforcement is made).

However, reinforcement was stopped when the graph moved across the chart for the second time. Changes Observed in Bird’s BehaviorWhen reinforcement was made, the bird’s behavior was positive and she pecked several times in order to get the food pallet. Thus, when the reinforcement was followed by food, the responses of pecking increased. However, when the food pellet was stopped, the bird’s response was increased and she pecked more frequently. Thus, the frequency was much higher as compared to reinforcement stage.

Thus, this experiment conditioned “Positive Reinforcement”, a principle of operant conditioning i.e. when the bird was given food pellet followed by pecking; it increased the response of bird’s behavior. Application of this technique to human or animalThis positive reinforcement technique is used in our daily life. For instance, a dog is pleased with treat or hug every time it sits or goes for a walk. Similarly, each time an individual puts a coin in wending machine of soft drink and presses the buttons, he or she is gets the can.

ConclusionThus, the birds experiment of positive reinforcement clears the understanding how reinforcement is made to get the desired response. This technique is applicable to our routine life as well. ReferencesCatania, A.C., & Skinner, B. F. (1998). The Selection of Behavior: The Operant Behaviorism of B.F. Skinner : Comments and Consequences. CUP Archive Publisher. Coon, D., & Mitterer, J. O. (2008). Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior. Cengage Learning. Hill, G. (2001).

As Level Psychology Through Diagrams. Oxford University Press. PsychLabOnLine. (n.d.). [Graph illustration of Bird Experiment July 23, 2012]. Bird Experiment. Retrieved from https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/johnchay/PL06/OC/OC.html