by Mary Tyrer

Created on: May 19, 2010

According to the American Heritage Dictionary (2003), operant means to produce an effect that will cause a spontaneous reaction and recognized in Psychology as a reinforcing or inhibiting effect. The law of effect first suggest by Thorndike, in 1911 can explain the operant conditioning or operant learning procedure. Operant learning, judges responses, which are learned when the subject is performs a task. Once the task is complete in a satisfactory manner, and the subject demonstrates that he or she can continue to exhibit the same behavior constantly, the subject will continue to receive satisfactory incentives. Meaning the subject will repeat the same behavior, subsequently the subject will achieve the same satisfying incentives. Operant conditioning emits a reward for a proper response.

Shaping

The word shaping specified so early steps that the subject will engage in a behavior knowing at the end a reward will be waiting. For example, a bird is to be rewarded with food by peeking x number of times. Therefore, the bird must first go to a ledge next to an operant box. The bird must then begin to peck at the box to receive the reward, or birdseed (being that food is the best motivator in most animals). However, the bird must first learn the box contains food, then how it can eat the food in the box. Initially food or the reward is allotted to  the subject at end of each step. However, in operant conditioning the reward will only be available to the bird if the bird pecks on the operant box x number of times (Horn, 2009).

Positive and negative reinforcement

Positive reinforcement will show that a rewarding and or satisfying incentive or something the subject wants is a positive reinforcer and the possibility that a certain response will occur. For instance, if a toddler uses the potty chair for the first time and the reward for his or her good deed is filled with hugs, kisses and a favorite activity in this case  coloring. Each time the child uses the potty he or she will receive his or her favorite activity, in this case the child loves to color and the parents or caregiver will hug, kiss, and make a huge deal over the fact the child went to the bathroom. Therefore, the child will want to use the potty chair to ensure he or she can color and will receive the emotion excitement each time this is using the positive reinforcer. The parent or caregiver is awarding the child with hugs and kisses, and his or her favorite

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