Skinner's experiment on operant conditioning.
Skinner's experiment on operant conditioning.
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Skinner's experiment on operant conditioning:-
The famous American psychologist B. F. Skinner presented his research findings and principles in the book Science of Human Behavior in 1935. In this book, he showed that animal behavior is of two types - respondent behavior, that has a specific stimulus; and operant behavior that does not have a specific stimulus. Operant behavior can be associated with any type of stimulus.
Skinner's box:-
To shed light on the subject of operant conditioning, he conducted an experiment in 1932, which is famous as the ''Skinner box'' experiment. In conducting this experiment, he adopted a mechanical method. He created a box in which there was a button or lever. The box is prepared in such a way that when the button or lever is pressed, food falls into a tray. There are also all the arrangements for recording in that box.
First step of the experiment: -
First, a hungry rat is introduced into the box. While the rat is kept in the box, the food is brought in front of it by pressing the button or lever. The purpose of bringing food to the tray in this way was to introduce the rat to the subject of food supply in the tray. In the same way, the same process is carried out once again. The purpose of this was to introduce the rat to the subject of actively obtaining food.
Second step of the experiment: -
The rat is again entered into the box. As soon as it is entered, the rat runs towards the tray in the hope of getting food. But when it does not get food, it starts to behave in various ways. Then, as a result of this behavioral behavior, the button or lever is pressed and the rat receives food.
The third stage of the experiment: -
After introducing the entire process to the rat in this way, when the rat is being introduced to the box, the rat is able to directly press the button to present the food, excluding other irrational behaviors.
Decision and organizational form: -
This entire process is mechanically linked to the reward or food. Therefore, it is also called a mechanical process. In this process, the reinforcing stimulus, i.e. food, forces the rat to respond. In the absence of the reinforcing stimulus, the rat's active behavior will be inhibited and gradually decrease. Only when the appropriate response is generated in this type of conditioning, the reinforcing stimulus is presented. The organizational form of operant conditioning is - S1 > R1 > S2.
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