B. F. Skinner: Social And Physical Development Of Children

431 Words2 Pages

B.F. Skinner believed children responded to a system as in which involved in rewards and punishments. Skinner was best known for research about social and physical development of children. That is also his most basic descriptive of beliefs. He widely acclaimed work is based on both, negative and positive reinforcements. It is common that behavior is affected by the consequences given; Skinner proved the process doesn’t have to be repeated. B.F. Skinner did an experiment with a rat and food. The experiment was a rat being trapped in a box and being rewarded with food. Over the course of a few days, food was occasionally rewarded by an automatic dispenser. Soon after the rat would hear the dispenser, he would immediately move towards the food. After a while, researchers raised a small lever on the box. When the rat would touch the lever, the dispenser would provide it with a snack. The rat did this repeatedly because it began to catch on. To the hungry rat, the dispenser had become a reinforcer when associated with the food, and continued to be until researchers stopped rewarding food. After food wasn’t rewarded the rat stopped touching the dispenser. Reinforcements can be negative or positive and both strengthen behavior. Eventually Skinner taught the rat to press the lever when a light came on. Unlike animals, human respond to verbal operant by obeying, listening, or taking advice. …show more content…

One of the aspects important to human behaviors, is the feelings associated with behavior that’s controlled by conditions. When previous behaviors have been rewarded, children are happy and willing to repeat the behavior. Children choose behaviors that avoid negative reinforcements, but will be inclined to feel their freedoms are being suppressed. Children like the rest of us, are free to behave in any manner they