B.F Skinner (1938) came up with the Operant conditioning theory which he described as, the process that one is able to explain the behaviours of an individual by looking at the actions preceded the happening or occurrence. As per the theory, various factors when brought into the picture will cause an individual either to continue acting in a particular way or they may be used to deter him or her from acting in that particular manner. This theory was then further divided into two; Reinforcement and Punishment. As per the theory, Reinforcement is the consequences that encourage an individual to continue acting in that particular manner whereas punishment are the stimuli that discourage the individual from acting in that particular way.
Reinforcement
As earlier stated, reinforcement are the various circumstances that encourage an individual from continuing to perform a particular action. This may be seen in various ways, for example, this kind of reinf0orcment may be visible in the various ways children and animals are able to learn. For example, the dog may be trained to jump through the hoops in order to be able to get the treats whereas a child may learn how to open a jar in order for him or her to get the cookies in the jar. With these examples, it is clear that the person’s actions may then be explained by one looking at the surrounding activities.
Positive and Negative Reinforcement
Reinforcement was then further divided into positive and negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is then defined as the stimuli that push an individual to act in that particular manner since he or she knows that there’s a reward when they complete it whereas negative reinforcement may be defined as the form if reinforcement where the removal of a particular aversive stimuli that would tend to encourage the particular organism to act in that manner. For example, in instances that an individual is to be paid if he or she performs a particular action, then this may create a positive form of reinforcement since the individual would constantly try to act in that manner in order for him to be paid. However, in instances that he or she is to pay if they don’t perform the action as required they are then ones to pay, then they will tend to act as required in order to avoid paying up. As seen the end product is them performing the action, but the reinforcers are different.
Punishment
This is explained as the consequences that would deter an individual from continuing to act in that particular manner. The punishers are further explained to be the reason that weakens a particular behaviour (Ciccarelli). For example, a child may sop licking the sugar since him or her now that the last time they did, mum spanked them. Due to this the likelihood of the action ever being repeated is very minimal. Punishment is then further divided into two: Positive punishment or Negative punishment.
Positive and Negative Punishment
Positive punishment may be brought about by the fact that an individual clearly knows that the action will result in an unpleasant happening for example pain or loss and hence they will act in a manner that will reciprocate in them always averting these activities (Ciccarelli). Whereas Negative punishment may be explained as the actions of the particular person being deterred since they know that if they act in that particular manner, what comes next is an action that will lead to the elimination of a stimulus. This normally occurs when the individual knows that a positive stimulus will be taken away. For example, a teenager may stop coming home late because they may know that they will be grounded and the ability of them staying out late will be the positive stimulus.
Learning may be defined as the change which results in an individual’s permanent behaviour. This change is mainly due to various experiences. Memory may be described as the ability of an individual ton express or show whatever they have learnt or the knowledge they have acquired. Intelligence on the other hand may then be defines as the ability of an individual to understand and adapt to the environment that he or she is in. From these definitions, it is clear that these three actions are related since, memory and intelligence are related in the sense that, memory occurs in instances that intelligence occurs immediately whereas intelligence is arrived at through the continuous learning processes.
Works Cited
Ciccarelli, S. K. & White, J. N. Psychology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.(2015)Print
Elaine Tamez, Joel Myerson and Sandra Hale. Learning, working memory, and intelligence revisited. Washington: Elsevier, 2008.Print
Fordyce WE, Fowler RS Jr, Lehmann JF, Delateur BJ, Sand PL, Trieschmann RB. "Operant conditioning in the treatment of chronic pain." US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health (1973): 399-408.Print
Reynolds, G. S. "A primer of operant conditioning." A primer of operant conditioning (1975): 155.Print
