Operant conditioning is a way we can change behavior using two main ideas: reinforcement and punishment.
Reinforcement:
Positive Reinforcement: This is when we add something nice to encourage behavior. For example, if you get a reward for doing your homework, you are more likely to do it again. Studies show that people are 50-80% more likely to repeat actions that are rewarded.
Negative Reinforcement: This happens when we take away something unpleasant to make a behavior more likely to happen. For instance, if you turn off a loud alarm, you feel better. This can make someone improve their behavior by 60-70%.
Punishment:
Positive Punishment: Here, we add something uncomfortable to stop a behavior. For instance, if someone gets scolded for being late, this may help decrease that behavior by about 30-50%.
Negative Punishment: This means taking away something enjoyable to reduce a behavior. For example, if you lose your game time for not finishing chores, it can lower that behavior by about 40%.
Schedules of Reinforcement:
Continuous Reinforcement: Here, every time someone does the right thing, they get a reward. This helps them learn quickly.
Partial Reinforcement: In this case, rewards are given sometimes, not all the time. This approach can lead to more lasting behavior, and people are about 10-20% less likely to stop the behavior compared to continuous reinforcement.
Operant conditioning is a way we can change behavior using two main ideas: reinforcement and punishment.
Reinforcement:
Positive Reinforcement: This is when we add something nice to encourage behavior. For example, if you get a reward for doing your homework, you are more likely to do it again. Studies show that people are 50-80% more likely to repeat actions that are rewarded.
Negative Reinforcement: This happens when we take away something unpleasant to make a behavior more likely to happen. For instance, if you turn off a loud alarm, you feel better. This can make someone improve their behavior by 60-70%.
Punishment:
Positive Punishment: Here, we add something uncomfortable to stop a behavior. For instance, if someone gets scolded for being late, this may help decrease that behavior by about 30-50%.
Negative Punishment: This means taking away something enjoyable to reduce a behavior. For example, if you lose your game time for not finishing chores, it can lower that behavior by about 40%.
Schedules of Reinforcement:
Continuous Reinforcement: Here, every time someone does the right thing, they get a reward. This helps them learn quickly.
Partial Reinforcement: In this case, rewards are given sometimes, not all the time. This approach can lead to more lasting behavior, and people are about 10-20% less likely to stop the behavior compared to continuous reinforcement.