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HANDOUT
IN
PROFESSIONAL
EDUCATION 203 (20189)
Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching
LESSON 3: Skinner’s Operant Conditioning

Presenters:

Dasig, Christine Joy O.

Cerino, Zyra E.

Compa, Ronalyn
Lesson 3: Skinner’s Operant Conditioning

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

 describe reinforcement and punishment in the context of operant conditioning.

 differentiate the characteristics of the theories of classical and operant conditioning:

 analyze a research article about operant conditioning: and

 devise a teaching strategy bank of classroom applications of operant conditioning.

THINK

One of the most popular behavioral theorists of all time is B.F. (Burrhus Frederic)
Skinner (1904-1990). He postulated the operant conditioning. Classical conditioning refers to the
association of stimuli whereas operant conditioning actively involves the subject’s participation.
The subject in operant conditioning has a choice to respond. In other word, operant conditioning
is the type of learning whereby learning occurs as a consequence of the learner's behavior.

B.F. Skinner made this conclusion after experimenting on animals through his Skimmer's box, a
device that modified the animal's behavior. In his experiment, he put a rat in a box with a lever, a
bowl. and a closed chamber. If the lever was pushed. the chamber opened and dispensed food.
Unconscious about this mechanism, the rat accidentally pushed the lever, and the food was
dispensed. The rat learned that continuously pushing the lever could open the food dispenser to
the bowl. Skinner termed the food in such an experiment as the reward.

Reinforcement

Skinner's operant condition is dichotomized into reinforcement and punishment. Each

category is also divided into positive or negative. Reinforcement is defined as something that
strengthens the behavior or is sometimes called as the response strengthener (Schultz, 2006).
Positive reinforcement is defined as the addition of a pleasant stimulus. This is exactly what is
illustrated in the Skinner's box. The dispensed food became a positive reinforcement that caused
the rat to continually push the lever (behavior).

Positive reinforcement has many classroom applications. Preschool teachers stamp three
big stars on the hands of their pupils who may have behaved throughout the class, achieved the
highest score, or become friendly within the academic time. To maximize the use of the positive
reinforcement, however, teachers should make it clear to their students why they are stamping
them three stars and what the three big stars mean. In that way, the pupils will be motivated to
repeat their pleasant behavior and can eventually gain the reward-the stamp.

By building operant conditioning techniques into lesson plans. it is easily possible to

teach children useful skills as well as good behaviors. By using symbols like smiley faces,
“Good Work" stamps, stickers, and even simple ticks when a child does something correctly, you
are encouraging them to repeat such satisfying work further down the line.

Meanwhile, negative reinforcement is taking something away from a situation that

subsequently increases the occurrence of the response. In other words. it is taking away an
unpleasant consequence to cause the behavior to happen again. Some stimuli that often function
as negative reinforcers are loud noises, criticisms, annoying people, and low grades, because
actions that remove them tend to be reinforcing. For instance, Teacher X wants her Grade 3 class
to master the multiplication table. so, she gives the pupils a problem set on multiplication. After
set is solved, they would recite the multiplication table from multiples of 5 to 10. If they master
the multiplication table, the problem set is withdrawn. Thus, strengthening the behavior-perfectly
reciting the multiplication table.

Schedule of reinforcements
According to Skinner (1938), as mentioned by Zeiler (1977), schedules refer to when
reinforcement is applied (Skinner,1938; Zeiler,1977). Table I summarizes the reinforcement
schedules according to Skinner.

Table 1. Reinforcement schedules according to Skinner

Reinforcement Schedule Description Classroom Application

Continuous Schedule Reinforcement is given every Students receive feedback

time the animal gives the after each response concerning
desired response. the accuracy of their work.

Intermittent Schedule Reinforcement is given Students are not called on

irregularly as the animal gives
the desired response.
every time they raise their
hands, not praised after
working each problem. and
not always told they are
behaving appropriately.

Fixed interval The time interval is constant Appreciating a student's

from one reinforcement to the answer is done for the first
next. response made after 5
minutes.

Variable interval
The time interval varies from
occasion to occasion around
some average value.
The first correct response after
5 minutes is reinforced, but
the time interval varies some
average value. (e.g.,2,3,7, or 8
minutes).

Ratio Schedule Reinforcement is given Teacher gives praises to a

depending on the number of' student after reciting the fifth
correct responses or the rate of correct answer.
responding.

Fixed ratio Every nth correct response is Every 10th correct response
reinforced, where n is receives reinforcement.
constant.

Variable ratio Every nth correct response is A teacher may give free time
reinforced, but the value periodically around an average
varies around an average of five completed
number of n. assignments.

Punishment

Operant conditioning also includes punishment, whose main aim is to weaken the
response. However, punishment does not necessarily eliminate the behavior; when the threat of
punishment is removed, the punished response may recur (Merrett & Wheldall, 1984). Skinner
believed that positive punishment is an addition of an unpleasant stimulus to decrease the
behavior. For instance, Max, a grade 6 pupil, had been neglecting his Math assignments. He
completely hated washing the dishes. To decrease such behavior of neglecting his assignments.
her parents assigned him to wash the dishes after dinner. After some time. Max eventually
became more diligent to complete his assignments in Math. The addition (positive) of the work
Max hates (punishment) decreases the likelihood for the behavior (neglect of doing the
assignments) to occur.

Negative punishment, meanwhile, is the removal of rewarding stimulus to decrease the

behavior. For example. Jennie, a grade 3 pupil, is always noisy in a group activity. Her teacher
calls her attention and warns her that she could not participate in the subsequent fun activity if
she continues to behave noisily. Joining in a fun activity is a pleasant stimulus. Withdrawing it
(negative) is believed to reduce noisy behavior (punishment).

Table 2. Relationship of reinforcement and punishment

Reinforcement (increasing the Punishment (decreasing the

behavior) behavior)

Positive (adding) Adding something to increase Adding something to decrease

the behavior the behavior

Negative (subtracting) Subtracting something to Subtracting something to

increase the behavior decrease the behavior

Alternatives to Punishment

Punishment is often applied in schools to address disruptions. Maag (2001) enumerated

some common punishments like loss of privileges, removals from the classroom in and out-of-
school suspensions, and expulsions. Nonetheless, there are several alternatives to punishment
(see Figure 18). The primary advantage of this alternative over punishment is that it shows the
student how to behave adaptively.

Change the Allow the unwanted Extinguish the Condition an

discriminative stimuli behavior to continue unwanted behavior incompatible behavior

Move misbehaving Have student who Ignore minor Reinforce learning

student away from stands when he or she misbehavior so that it progress, which
other misbehaving should be sitting is not reinforced by occurs only when a
students. continue to stand. teacher attention. student is not
misbehaving.

Figure 18. Alternatives to punishment.

EXPERIENCE

The use of rewards and punishments in a classroom setting is very noticeable in an

everyday situation. For instance, the teacher may use prizes or rewards in exciting collaborative
games to increase student participation. Notably, the K to 12 curriculum promotes higher student
participation and collaboration. Knowing the appropriate use of rewards and punishments in
teaching may address this pedagogical requirement.

Showing simple ways to reinforce students may somehow build an image of a supportive
teacher. For instance, the teacher positively reinforcing a pleasant behavior who often smiles,
praises, and shows affectionate patting on the back is considered a kind and caring teacher.

Moreover, classroom management is one of the key areas of concern in teaching. Operant
conditioning can also be applied to ensure a well-organized climate in class. For example, a
teacher may ignore students who shout out correct answers but may give them the opportunity to
recite when they raise their hands. Moreover, using operant conditioning, the teacher may give
immediate feedback toward pleasant or unpleasant behavior. Giving feedback is vital in
diminishing undesirable student behavior.

Reinforcement in teaching has different effects on different learners; therefore, the use of
varied ways for different types of learners should be observed. Moreover, it is worth extending
continuous reinforcement to enable the learners to acquire new behavior.