"Operant Conditioning: Why We Do Things (and Avoid Others!)"

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                                                                                         Source- Verywellmind

Operant conditioning is just a fancy way of saying: “Do good things, get rewards. Do bad things, get in trouble.” We humans (and even animals) learn based on what happens after we do something.

This idea was developed by B.F. Skinner, a guy who basically trained pigeons to play ping pong (yes, really!) using rewards and punishments.

How Does It Work?

Imagine you have a dog. You want it to sit, so every time it does, you give it a treat. The dog thinks, “Oh wow, sitting = yummy treats!” and sits more often.

Now, if the dog jumps on the sofa and you yell, “Noooo! Get down!”, the dog learns, “Uh-oh, jumping on the sofa = scary human noises,” and stops doing it.

Boom! That’s operant conditioning- we repeat actions that bring good results and avoid actions that bring bad results.

Main Parts of Operant Conditioning-

1. Reinforcement (Making a Behavior Happen More Often)

                                                                                    Source-Simple Psychology

Positive Reinforcement (Adding Something Nice)
  • Example: You finish your homework, and your parents give you chocolate. Now, you’re thinking, “Hmm… homework = chocolate? I’ll take that deal!”

Negative Reinforcement (Removing Something Annoying)

  • Example: Your car keeps going “BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!” until you wear your seatbelt. You put it on quickly just to stop the annoying sound.

Moral of the story? Reinforcement makes you WANT to do something again.

2. Punishment (Making a Behavior Happen Less Often)

Positive Punishment (Adding Something Unpleasant)

  • Example: You speed while driving, and boom- you get a fine. Now, you drive like a saint because your wallet is still crying.

Negative Punishment (Taking Away Something You Like)

  • Example: You throw a tantrum, so your parents take away your video games. Now, you act like an angel so you can get them back.

Moral of the story? Punishment discourages you from repeating a behavior.

How Often Should You Give Rewards or Punishments?

Skinner found that giving rewards sometimes works better than giving them every time (just like how we get addicted to random surprises).

  1. Continuous Reinforcement (Reward Every Time)
    • Example: You put money in a vending machine, and it gives you a snack. Perfect, right?
  2. Partial Reinforcement (Reward Sometimes, Not Always)
    • Example: Slot machines in casinos don’t give money every time, but people keep playing because they MIGHT win! (And this is how people go broke.)

Surprise rewards keep behaviors stronger!

Real-Life Examples of Operant Conditioning

  • At School: Teacher gives you a gold star for behaving well. Now, you’re practically a model student.
  • At Work: Your boss gives you a bonus for doing a good job, and suddenly, you’re the office superhero.

Operant conditioning is just life’s way of saying:

👉 Do good things = Get rewarded.
👉 Do bad things = Face the consequences.

It’s why we work, study, behave, and even train our pets. It’s how casinos take our money and why kids behave like angels when they want ice cream.

It’s all about learning from consequences! 

Next time you buckle your seatbelt to stop that annoying beeping, work extra hard for a bonus, or avoid speeding to save your wallet- congrats! You’re experiencing operant conditioning in action. 

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