PSYC 6717 week 1 Discussion: Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning is the process of learning through reinforcement or punishment, resulting in an increase or decrease in frequency of a behavior ( Cooper, Heron, Heward, 2020).

An example of operant conditioning in my life, I would say how I’ve managed follow a schedule with intent of creating a balance between my work, school, and home life. I am studying for my teacher certification, my master’s, while also teaching Geometry for the first time. Following a schedule allows me to spend time with my children on the weekends, and on some days practice self-care. The antecedent or actions that have sort of served as a trigger for following a schedule is the feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed, and not receiving enough rest. The reinforcement that promotes the increase of my ability to stay on schedule, is the  reward of spending quality time with my sons and practicing self-care which keeps me sane and positive, and the freedom of being stress free.

The antecedent condition of being tired all the time, having no energy or little time due to studying and worrying about meeting deadlines prompted the target behavior of sticking to a schedule. Which results in me feeling like I am not missing out and provides a sense of stability and balance between work, school, and family.

 

Discussion: Operant Conditioning

To Prepare

By Day 4 of Week 1

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My 4-year-old son has been spending a lot of time with his older cousin and has picked up the response “what” and “Hun” when someone calls his name. I am in the process of teaching him manners, and he loves verbal praise. When my fiancé or I call his name, and he responds “yes sir” or “yes Ma’am he is rewarded with praise. 

If he uses proper manners without being promoted, I say, “good job using your manners buddy”.  

Antecedent: He wants to be just like his older cousin, so he follows the behaviors he sees his cousin does at home and the response from his aunt.  His cousin is called by his mom he responds “what” or “Hun”. His mother answers with no problem, he thinks this is ok, and he repeats behavior at home.  

Positive reinforcement as defined by the course text is a response followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus change that results in similar responses occurring more often.  

I am adding something desirable “praise” to increase the use of proper manners.  

By Day 6 of Week 1

Growing up, my parents were active and intentional in the way they raised my siblings and I, but my dad was the main disciplinarian in our household. My mom tended to give in more easily and when she did discipline us, her consequences tended to be less harsh than my dad’s. Looking back, my dad was primarily authoritative, rather than authoritarian, in his practices, but he was the one who would be quicker to send us to timeout and for a longer period or be firmer with a spanking.

By nature, I do not like to disappoint people, and especially not my dad as he and I had a close relationship growing up. So, I learned to be more obedient around my dad, being mindful of the choices I made, the tone I used, etc. His punishment caused me to behave more appropriately as I did not want to receive the consequence. I also gained more positive attention from my dad for appropriate behavior than I did from my mom. Therefore, I was highly motivated to exhibit my best behaviors around my dad due to the reinforcement of verbal praise he exhibited as I was growing up. In fact, to this day, I am still conditioned to behave in a similar manner. For example, when I am driving with my dad in the car, I am very conscientious of how I conduct myself behind the wheel. This isn’t to say that I am a poor driver ordinarily, but that I am motivated to ensure my behavior is that much more appropriate.

An antecedent can be described as “an environmental condition or stimulus change existing or occurring prior to a behavior of interest” (Cooper et al., 2020, p.786). In the example above, my behavior was influenced by the presence of my dad, therefore he was the antecedent for certain behaviors. For example, if he was in the room when I was having a heated conversation with my mom as a teenager, I was less likely to exhibit a sassy tone or raise my voice at her.

 

References:

Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied behavior analysis (3^rd ed.). Pearson. pp. 2-46.