Class/Section: FHS 1500 Jarvis Online

Name: Alamissi Ouro-Gneni

Essay
Question: OPTION B: OPERANT CONDITIONING
Using the concepts of operant conditioning discussed in the text and in class, change the
behavior of someone or something. In your report, identify the target (desired) behavior
and the responses that you reinforced (or punished) in order to direct your subjects
behavior. Describe your subject and the specific steps you took to change the behavior.
Describe the results. (Note: If you are really good, this will even work on stubborn
husbands.)
Answer:
According to behaviorist B.F. Skinner who has greatly influenced research on
human behavior in North America and who introduced the theory on operant
conditioning, also known as instrumental conditioning. (Berger, 2014, p. 27), there are
multiple ways of influencing peoples behavior either by rewarding them when they do
something expected from them or punishing them when they do not or when they do
what they are told not to do. The purpose of this scientific study was to help people learn
how to reinforce positive or negative behavior. That being said, I got to use those
concepts to my own benefit.
I had been trying for some time to get my son to help with household chores such
as cleaning his room, as well as unloading the goods from the car after shopping. I
realized that my youngest son, who is nine years old, was always reluctant to do his part
of the job. I also discovered that he liked chocolate candies, so I decided to get him some
candies every time I go shopping and give them to him after he helps clean up his room
or unload the goods from the car. Over time, as he got used to getting the candies after he
helped. As time went by, I came to notice that my sons behavior had changed in a
positive way. He learned to respond almost automatically without any need for me to

push him around or scold him to get him to do what was considered to be a normal task
for children in his age group. He got accustomed to putting his stuff away when he comes
back from school or just go to the driveway with the hope that he will help me and get his
reward as soon as he sees me pulling up into the driveway. This kind of made me very
happy because when I looked at it from the behaviorists perspective, early responses
are crucial for development because children learn habits that endure. (Berger, 2014, p.
29). This was not the case before, since he would be playing around the house when his
room is all messed up or while I unload the stuff from the car. I was very impressed by
the fact that the rewards (namely the candies which, to me, do not appear to be that
significant), were enough to get him to change his mindset. This went a long way to
demonstrate that the findings of the behaviorists proved to be more practical than
theoretical because, building on the experience I acquired from interacting with my
youngest son, I assumed that if this could work with him, it would probably work with
most children. I was not wrong though: My older children seem to be following the same
trend. As a result, there is much more harmony in my home because the shouting and
scolding have replaced by a softer technique which is actually more beneficial to all of us
in the family, and for two reasons. The first reason being that the rewards spared me the
headache with its lot of pain relievers, the second reason being that my children now feel
more comfortable doing what I am excepting from them and that makes everyone a lot
happier.
References
Berger, K. S. (2014). Invitation to the life span (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth
Publishers.