Question

'Operant Conditioning Theory' was propounded by :

• A. Pavlov
• B. Thorndike
• C. B F Skinner
• D. Kohler

Answer 1

Answer:

C. B F Skinner

B. F. Skinner - Theory of Operant Conditioning

• B. F. Skinner, an American psychologist, propounded the "Theory of Operant Conditioning" whic h is also known as "Theory of Reinforcement" and "Instrumental Conditioning Theory". 
• Skinner studied the occurrence of voluntary responses when an organism operates in the environment. he called them operants.
• Operants are those behaviours or responses, which are emitted by animals and human beings voluntarily and are under their control.
• The term operant is used because the organism operates on the environment.
• Conditioning of operant behaviour is called operant conditioning.
• This theory refers to the learning process where learning takes place through rewarding a certain behaviour or with holding reward for undesirable behaviour. 
• Skinner emphasizes that a person or animal tends to 'repeat' behaviour which has been 'rewarded' (positively reinforced), or tends to 'stop' which has been 'punished' (negatively reinforced).

SKINNER'S EXPERIMENT WITH RAT: 

• Skinner developed a special apparatus known as skinner's box. 
• This box has a grid floor, a system of light or sound produced at the time of delivery of a pellet of food, in the food cup, on the pressing of the lever. 
• Skinner placed a hungry rat in the box. 
• In this experiment, pressure on the bar in a certain way, by the rat could result in the production of a click and emergence of a food pellet. 
• The rat was rewarded for each proper pressing of the lever. 
• The rat repeated this process and ultimately learned to press the lever a desired by the experimenter.