Psychology of Learning (Essay Sample)

Psychology of learning
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Introduction
Psychology of learning in operant conditioning is a method whereby learners get punishment or rewards for their behaviors. It is through operant conditioning whereby an association is made between a certain behavior and a consequence for the said behavior. Operant conditioning was started by a renowned behaviorist BF Skinner hence the reason behind the name Skinner conditioning. Skinner believed that the internal insights as well as motivations could not be used as a way of explaining behavior. In the contrary he suggested that it is imperative to look at only the external features of human behavior that can instead be observed. He used the term operant in order to refer to the active behavior that operates within the environment of human beings for generating consequences In better words than previously explained, Skinner’s theory explained the ways in which the humans acquire a range of learned behavior that they exhibit during their day to day activities.
This paper seeks to explore the methods applied by skinner in his experiments of operant conditioning
Discussion
The box or Skinner box was designed by skinner who was a famous researcher in the field of psychology. The learning in an operant conditioning procedure can be explainable by a law called the law of effect. It suggests that responses are learned when they are followed by a state of satisfying state of affairs. Despite this, "operant conditioning requires usage of shaping as well as reinforcement procedure" (McLeod, 2007)
In operant conditioning, learning is relatively a permanent change in behavior that comes as a result of experience. Behaviorism sought to explain the learning procedure and process. There are normally three types of described by the behavioral psychology such as classical conditioning, operant conditioning and observational conditioning. It is true that learning involves a situation, response as well as a consequence. This is largely because learning can be described as the process leading to relatively permanent behavioral change or the potential behavioral change. In another explanation, during the process of learning, people alter the way they perceive their environment. This is method by which they interpret the incoming stimuli that they interact or behave. The central ideas behind this behavior, is that only observable behaviors are worthy of research since others are too subjective. This is why there is always a response in all behaviors because of the stimuli involved in the process. It is a process in which learning occurs through observing as well as imitating others hence the reason for a response from both parties. In addition, the unconditional response is the response that occurs in natural way as a response to unconditional stimulus. For instance, a smell of food nearby will ignite an unconditional response of being hungry due to the involved stimuli(Pierce & Cheney, 2004).
Operant conditioning dictates that the subject must first produce the response that the person taking the experiment seeks to give a reward. Shaping is the name given to the initial steps required in order to get the subject to engage in a behavior that needs to be rewarded. If for instance, a rat is to be given a reward, for pressing the bar, it must first learn:
1 To go towards the box
2 To touch the bar concerned
3 To press the bar.
From a general perspective, skinner shows that rewards are to be given at the end of each of the steps. However, the reward is given only when the bar becomes pressed. This shows that learning involves a situation, as well as a response to the situation which is normally the reward.
There are several types of operant conditioning, which include, positive reinforcement, negative, reinforcement as well as extinction. Both positive and negative reinforcement strengthen behavior while punishment and extinction weaken all behavioral tendencies.
Positive reinforcement
Carlson et al (2007), states that in positive reinforcement a certain behavior is strengthened by the act of experiencing the positive conditioning. For instance, a hungry rat usually presses the lever in its cage and in the process it receives food. This food is a condition that is positive for the rat that is hungry. The rat repeats the action again and in response it receives food. This rat's behavior of pressing the lever consecutively is strengthened and motivated by the reward of receiving food.
Skinner defined this reinforcement as the operant conditioning that increases the rate of action of a response. An operant conditioning action that leads to reinforcement is; if the rat presses the lever given, then food is accessed. The rate of response in turn increases. This procedure is known as a positive reinforcement. The word positive is utilized since the consequence is the act of presentation of the food. Reinforcement means that it increases the rate of response. This positive reinforcement is recognized as a form of reward.
Negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement on the other hand is the strengthening due to the consequence of stoppage of avoidance of a negative condition. For instance, a rat is put in a cage and it immediately receives a mild electrical shock on one of its feet. This shock ...