Operant conditioning is a recognised and well-known behavioural learning process in which reinforcement makes a given stimulus increasingly effective at eliciting a certain response. The term "reinforcement" refers to a reward for an appropriate action in a particular circumstance. In other terms, conditioning is a technique used to encourage a particular behaviour. As a result, when an ineffectual object or signal cue becomes so much more effective, it makes the concealed responses obvious to everyone. The notion of conditioning is thus predicated on the understanding that learning establishes the connection between stimulus and response. Thus, the two primary theories of stimulus-response are at the core of the conditioning theory.
Operant conditioning is a technique that uses rewards and punishments based on an individual's behaviour as a result of the consequences that led to the specific behaviour (Cherry, 2022). This outcome is similar to how someone learns how to behave or responds to the behaviour as a result of a consequence. Positive reinforcement will make an action stronger and increase its likelihood of repetition in the future. For instance, the likelihood of the teacher gaining positive engagement from the students is quite likely when the instructor interacts with the students properly and supports students' behaviour by providing positive reinforcement in the classroom. This is because the behaviour receives a favourable result or encouraging feedback, which strengthens the action.
Actions that lead to a consequence or an unpleasant behaviour, however, will be weakened and less likely to happen again. For instance, if students are not properly engaged in a teacher-centered classroom with lengthy lectures and material to cover, they may become bored and make little attempt to participate. As a result, the students' behaviour during the activity was a reaction to an unfavourable outcome that would have resulted in negative reinforcement, such as receiving reprimands from their teachers, being nagged, or passively learning (McLeod, 2018).
(Example of experiment used to portray positive & negative reinforcement)
Learning by association is a term used to describe classical conditioning, commonly known as Pavlovian conditioning. This theory, which was developed by a Russian psychologist, Ivan Pavlov explains how learning occurs when two stimuli are connected together to cause a person to exhibit a new learnt response. New knowledge, behaviours, attitudes, and ideas are acquired through the process of learning. Both conscious and unconscious processes can lead to learning (McLeod, 2021). One of these unconscious learning techniques is classical conditioning, which is the simplest way for people to learn. It is the process by which particular stimuli are linked with an instinctive, conditioned reaction. It will be easier to comprehend the conditioning process if you are aware of the stimuli and the reactions. An unconditioned stimulus, for instance, is anything that causes a person to react automatically. For instance, utilising a sound clicker to signal students to be silent eventually results in an instinctual response from the students that includes dread and attention.
(Stages of classical conditioning)
These little gestures or cues used in the classroom play a long way in terms of understanding the theories learnt in education. Learning more about how people develop and learn is advantageous for parents, teachers, and student teachers alike. In the Diploma of Education – Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) programme offered by the Centre for Education and Language (CEL), MAHSA University, these theories are merged and studied as a subject to provide in-depth insights and understanding of introduction to language learning theories. As a result, if you found this material fascinating, enrolling in this programme will allow you to learn even more.
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Jasmine Ratchanee Lazarus Lecturer, Centre for Education & Language
Jasmine Ratchanee Lazarus Lecturer, Centre for Education & Language