Skinner’s Learning Theory

Skinner, (1904-1990) was the great psychologist. He was the first ranked
psychologist among his contemporaries. Skinner attempted to describe human
behavior through science. He taught Psychology at the University of Minnesota.
He wrote his highly influential text (Behavior of organisms). His main concern was
to relate his laboratory findings to the solution of human problem. Skinner’s
operant conditioning is a development along the lines of Thorndike’s learning by
selecting and connecting under the law of effect. Skinner acknowledges two kind
of learning. He places more emphasis upon that kind of learning which is under the
control of its consequences.

Skinner’s Major Concept:

Skinner adopted his own particular scientific philosophy that is known as radical
behaviorism. Skinner’s this new approach rejects the mentalistic orientation of
science. The old behaviouristic learning theorist was using terms like drives,
purpose and motivation to explain certain aspect of human and animals’ behavior.
Skinner and consequence of this behavior are the crucial matter for scientific
scrutiny. He Rejected these terms because they indicate to private and mental
experience. I n his opinion these were none scientific psychological terms. To him,
observable and measurable aspect of environment, behavior of organism were
reality.

Respondent and operant behavior:

The main break with conventional stimulus-response learning psychology within

Skinner’s system is the distinction between respondent and operant
behavior.skinner rejected conventional dictum “no stimulus, no response”. He
finds this fact both undesirable and unnecessary. He proposes that two classes of
response be distinguished, a class of elicited response and a class of emitted
response.

Skinner observed two kinds of behaviors, respondent behavior i.e., elicited by a

known stimulus , and an apparent behavior i.e., not elicited by a known stimulus,

but emitted by the organism himself. Respondent behaviors are unconditioned

responses, because they are elicited by un- conditioned stimuli. All reflexes are
example of respondent behavior, like constriction of eye when it exposed bright
light. Operant behavior is not correlated with known stimuli. Skinner holds the
conviction that stimulus are irrelevant to the understanding of operant behavior.
Because operant behavior is not elicited by recognized stimuli. It appears
spontaneously. Most human behavior is operant in character, like beginning to
whistle. Many everyday activities are operant behavior. Operant behavior is
controlled by its own consequences, but respondent behavior depends on the
stimulus. On the basis of two kind of behavior, respondent and operant behavior,
there are two kind of conditioning, type S and type R. Type S is also called
respondent conditioning, in it, stimulus elicits the desired response. Type R
conditioning involve operant behavior, and emphasize is on the response. Type R
conditioning is also called operant conditioning. In this case ,it is a response which
is correlated with reinforcement. The strength of the type R conditioning depends
upon the response rate. The operant requires no stimulus. Type R conditioning is a
situation in which the response of the organism produces the reinforcing agent. In
type S conditioning, strength of conditioning depends on the magnitude of the
conditioned responses. Skinner's research was focused entirely on operant
conditioning.

Reinforcement (the concept reinforcement) -- Type- R

conditioning depends on TWO principles.

1- Any response which is followed by a reinforcing stimulus tends to be

repeated.

2 -A reinforcing stimulus is anything that increases the rate of an operant

response.

In operant conditioning, the focus is on behavior and its consequences.

A reinforcer is anything that increase the probability of response's occurring.

According to skinner " we are what we have been reinforced for being". He
defined culture as set of reinforcement contingencies. Different culture reinforce
different behavior pattern. If one control reinforcement, one also control behavior.
According to skinner, living organisms are constantly condition by their
environment.

SHAPING

The process of operant conditioning takes considerable time to be happen. When

hungry or deprived animal proceed towards the food, animal had to pass through
many PHASES or stage, when experimenter on every possible phase in
approaching the food, experimenter is shaping. Shaping is like the game in which
a child hides a toy and other child try to find out it. When second child reach closer
to hidden toy, the first child who hide the toy say you are getting warm, you are
warmer, you are boiling hot, you are on fire.

EXTEINCTION

When we remove the reinforcer from the operant conditioning situation, we

established extinction. We are wrong when we assume that after extinction, a
response is not made. it is better to say that after extinction, the response rate goes
back to where, it was before, reinforcement was introduced. This baseline rate is
called operant level.

Spontaneous Recovery

After extinction, if animal back to cage after a period of time and put into
experimental situation, it begins to press the Lever for short period of time without
any additional training, this is referred to as spontaneous recovery.

SECONDARY Reinforcement

When a neutral stimulus, associated with a primary reinforcer, like food and
water, takes on reinforcing property of its own, same as food and water is called
secondary reinforcement. This is principle of secondary reinforcement. In simple
words, the principle of secondary reinforcement is the pairing of the light with
food should cause the light to take on reinforcing of its own.

Chaining

Chaining is a process of conditioning in which one response bring organism into

contact with stimulus, and that stimulus produce the new responses, this responses
in tern cause to experience a new stimulus, that stimulus another new response
and so on. This is referred as chaining. Positive and Negative Reinforcement
The positive primary reinforce is something. That is naturally reinforcing to
organism such as water, food. The positive secondary reinforce is a neutral
stimulus that associated with primary positive reinforce take on positive
reinforcing characteristics.” a positive reinforce, primary or secondary is
something, when added to situation increase the probability of response occurring.
A primary negative reinforce is anything that harmful to organism like, high loud
tone. Secondary negative reinforce is neutral stimulus that associated with primary
negative reinforce, takes on negative characteristics. A negative reinforce, primary
or secondary is something, when removed from the situation by a certain response,
increases the probability of responses occurring. Negative reinforcement should
not be confused with punishment.

PUNISHMENT

Some suggestion about punishment which skinner had earlier made were
extensively studied by Estes. There were two assumption about
punishment’effect,one that it weaken the habit or that it merely suppress response.
If habit is weakened, punishment acts as a negative reinforcement. If response is
merely suppressed, the response has not been eliminated from the organism’s
repertory.

Punishment happens when a response remove positive things from the situation or
adds negative things. In practical words, we can say that punishment is taking
away something that organism wants, or giving it something that it does not want.
In both cases, probability of occurring of response decrease. Punishment does not
decrease the probability of response, it only suppress a response. Punishment does
not weaken the Habit. Punished behaviour is likely to reappear after the punitive
contingencies are withdrawn .Skinner believe d that the use of punishment was in
effective in long run, because punishment simply suppress behavior. When threat
of punishment is removed behavior return to its original level .punishment more
importantly associated with stimuli. Intermittent punishment more effective than
punishment at every occurrence.

REASON FOR NOT TO USE PUNISHMENT

1- It causes unfortunate emotional by- products

2- It indicate what the organism should not do, not what it should do.

3- It justified inflicting pain on others.

4- Punishment elicits aggression toward the punishing agent.

5- Punishment often replaces an undesirable response with another undesirable

response.

Alternative to Punishment- the finding is that a response cannot be

eliminated from organism with aid of punishment than without it. A
disadvantage of punishment lies in emotional state which is aroused.
Emotional stete suppress other response in addition to the one punished. The
lack of specificity of its target is a weakness of punishment.

. There are alternative to punishment. For changing undesirable behavior, the

circumstances that produce undesirable behavior can be changed. The undesirable
response can be fulfilled by allowing the organism to perform the undesired
response until it is bored of it. Such as allowing child continued to light matches. If
undesirable behavior is a function of child’s developmental stages, it should be
waiting of child’s outgrow. The best way to discourage an undesirable habit is to
ignore it. Desirable or undesirable behavior persist because, it is being reinforced.

Schedules of Reinforcement

Skinner investigated thoroughly the reinforcement mechanism. He wrote on the

effect of partial reinforcement. Skinner observed that extinction process was more
rapid after continuous reinforcement then after partial reinforcement. I n simple
words, partial reinforcement put greater resistance to extinction than continuous or
100% enforcement. This fact is called the partial reinforcement effect. Skinner
studied partial reinforcement effect extensively and write on various type of partial
reinforcement. The following types of schedules of reinforcement are commonly
used.

1- Continuous Reinforcement Schedule (CRF)

CRF is used on every correct response during conditioning is reinforced

2- Fixed interval Reinforcement schedule-(FI)-

When FI is applied, the organism is reinforced for a response made only after a
certain interval of time. For instance, only a response following a 5 minute interval
is reinforced.

3- Fixed Ratio Reinforcement schedule – (FR)-

 In this schedule ,every n,th response that organism make is reinforced .FR-6 ,
for example means that animal will be reinforce d of every 6th responses.
Important thing in this schedule is determining the number of response when a
response is reinforced.

4-Variable Interval Reinforcement Schedule – (VI)

 In VI, organism is reinforced for responses made at the end of time interval of
duration .The organism is reinforced on the average of every 3 , but it may be
reinforced immediately after a Prior enforcement or it may reinforces after 40
seconds or 6 minutes .

5-Variable Ratio Reinforcement Schedule-(VR)

VR, it produces the highest response rate of the five schedules. In FR schedule,
organism is reinforced after a specific number of responses. But in VR, The VR-5
schedule, the organism is reinforced on average of every five response. .it may
receive two reinforce in a row or may make eight or16 response without being
reinforced. To conclude, continuous reinforcement produces the least resistance to
extinction and lowest response rate during condition. All partial reinforcement
schedule yield greater resistance to extinction during training than continuous
reinforcement. VR, schedules produce the highest response rate.

Educational Implication of Skinner’s theory

Skinner was cleanly interested in applying his theory of learning to process of

education. To Skinner, learning becomes easy and effective if information is
presented in small amount and in many steps. Feedback for accuracy of learning
should be given quickly and rapidly .learner should be given proper opportunity to
learn at his own pace. Skinner emphasizes that objective of learning clearly
specified before starting teaching. He also insists that objective should be defined
behaviorally. He favors to teach from simple to Complex .secondary
reinforcements are important because these are normally utilize in classroom
teaching and learning. verbal praise , positive facial expression ,star, feeling of
success, grade points and opportunity to do his own interesting activities ,are
example of secondary reinforcement. He stresses the use of extrinsic reinforces in
education. Skinnerian’s teacher focus on arranging reinforcement contingency so
that desirable behavior is encouraged. To Skinner, intrinsic reinforcement has
limited importance. Teacher should apply partial reinforcement than continuous
reinforcement. Skinnerian’ teacher avoid the application of punishment. Teacher
should reinforce appropriate behavior and avoid in appropriate behavior. learning
environment should be design, in such a way that student experience maximum
success .behaviors problem in school are the result of faulty and poor educational
planning, like, lack of self pacing, failing to use reinforce appropriately, offering
learning material in large quantity, that is not easily comprehended, strict
discipline to control behavior . In our education system, the most common teaching
technique is lecture technique. This lecture technique violates all principle of
Skinner learning theory .Skinner proposed a new teaching technique, the
programmed learning. Programmed learning incorporated many principle of
reinforcement theory.

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