Skinner's Theories

B. F. Skinner, one of America’s most influential Behavioral Psychologists, was known for his operant conditioning theory. Other theories Skinner contributed to the psychology field were that of punishment, reinforcement, and superstitious behavior.

Skinner’s most-known theory is that of operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is when behavior operates on the environment to produce consequences. It is an expressed behavior rather than a drawn out behavior; and it is characteristic of an active living being. Operant behavior is initially produced by a living being in the absence of any easily identifiable drawn out stimulus and it is controlled by its consequence – the effect that it has.

The very essence of operant conditioning is reinforcement. If a behavior is reinforced, it is strengthened, and the probability increases the type of behavior that will be repeated. There are two types of reinforcement: positive and negative. Both types increase the probability of response, both strengthen the behavior. Positive reinforcement involves the addition of something to a situation when a response is made. Negative reinforcement involves the removal of something when a response is made in a situation.

Some situations, according to Skinner, were controlled behavior through suppression. The suppression used is known as punishment. Punishment is a behavior, a controlled technique, designed to suppress a behavior. However, some people think of a punishment as a reward. For example, a parent might punish a child and put them in their room for misbehavior, but that might be where the child wants to be, so it becomes a reward.

Another of Skinner’s theories is that of superstitious behaviors. Superstitious behaviors are the result of accidental relationships between responses and reinforcers. There is no cause and effect relationship between the response and the reinforcers. For example, when a rain dance is performed and it rains a few days later, it is all coincidental.