The theory I chose to write about is BF Skinner's theory of operant conditioning because it intrigues me and is the one with which I I most agree. BF Skinner is an incredible American psychologist who developed one of the most influential theories there is. Skinner is a behaviorist and developed his theory by conducting extensive research into the shaping of behavior. Operant conditioning is a behavior modification technique that he developed in contrast to the classical conditioning of Pavlov and Watson. His idea of ​​the behavior modification technique was to put the subject through a program with steps. The steps included setting objectives, which would help you determine how the topic would be changed by following the said steps. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which a person's actions are reinforced or punished. The principle of Skinner's theory reflects the likelihood that positively reinforced behavior will occur again. In order for responses to be reinforced, information should be presented in small quantities. Another key principle states that reinforcements will also generalize to similar stimuli, which in turn produces secondary conditioning. In summary, behavior is influenced by the consequences of actions, and reinforcement is crucial to changing or modifying behavior. The term reinforcement itself refers to any feature of the environment that increases the likelihood that a person will repeat a behavior in the future. Rather, punishment is any characteristic that decreases the likelihood that a person will repeat a behavior. According to BF Skinner, “children operate on their environment (hence the term operant conditioning), adjusting their behaviors to attract more reinforcement and avoid punishment.” (12) This theory of Skinner proves that children adjust their behavior to obtain reinforcement and also to avoid punishment. Operant conditioning and Skinner's theory have been applied in various forms of research and clinical settings. Teachers use this operant conditioning method to control children in their classroom and parents also apply positive and negative reinforcement to their children throughout their daily lives. When it came to more complex behaviors, the idea of ​​shaping came into play. The shaping procedure involves selectively reinforcing certain behaviors while ignoring or punishing others. Language development and the way children are able to produce speech are said to be linked to shaping. “Learning theorists believe that the specific language training a child receives determines language development and that biological predispositions do not play an important role.” (264) In their research, Skinner and his students were able to get simple animals to do extremely difficult things using shaping. As humans, we are essentially shaped by our environment to like or dislike certain things. This theory both compares and contrasts with my childhood and how I grew up in many ways. When it comes to fitness, I noticed that my parents reinforced positive behaviors as much as possible when I was learning math, because it was something I struggled with a little more when I was child. I would be placedin an environment where all I could do is learn and there would be no distractions. My parents constantly told me how crucial it was for me to get good grades. I was praised for the good grades I received and it made me want to work harder to continually receive that praise. I still feel a form of operant conditioning even in college. Credit cards provide more student loan options for students who perform well in college, providing another form of reward that forces them to work much harder. However, sometimes operant conditioning does not work and if parents constantly punished their child for receiving bad grades, a child may develop a hatred towards school as he grows up. It is important to be understanding and note that sometimes children have difficulties and reinforcement will not always produce the desired result. I am a firm believer in discipline and not giving in to your children when you have already told them no several times. For example, if a child wants to buy candy or a toy in a store and starts crying, a parent should be strict and continue to refuse the candy bar. If the parent eventually gives in and buys the child the candy or toy, the child can begin to put two and two together and apply this method of operant conditioning in a negatively reinforcing way. Therefore, there must be a consistent pattern displayed through this method. From Skinner would be whenever physical or mental violence is inflicted on a person. The punishment given to a person should never cause physical harm and the reinforcement should be healthy and not something that could be considered an addiction. It takes a lot of care and attention to correct and teach the behavior. BF Skinner is also said to have "vastly underestimated the role of biology in shaping and regulating human behavior, dismissing the burgeoning fields of behavioral genetics, evolutionary psychology, and cognitive science." Skinner argued that humans don't really think, they just respond to environmental cues. Therefore, this theory cannot be applied to all cultures because there are certain cultural factors that one person may feel in relation to another. Parents may use stricter forms of operant conditioning in different countries because that is how they were raised and a child may not have the same positive effect as Skinner hopes his theory will prove. My interactions with children are now influenced by this theory because I grew up. more careful in understanding that essentially you can try to train a child through childbirth and strengthening, but ultimately it all depends on the condition of the child. Operant conditioning does not necessarily always produce the desired result if the child refuses to accept it. I will try to apply the operant conditioning method when I am babysitting or when I have my own children one day to modify behaviors as best I can if a child is acting out unnecessarily. Some parenting advice I would give to parents would be to move away from taking an authoritarian approach as best as possible and realize that there is a difference between discipline and harmful discipline. Using operant conditioning to keep children “in line” and knowing exactly how you want them to act can be detrimental to them in the long run. If a child is always punished in harmful ways for his bad actions, many damages.