According to B. F Skinner, behavior theory examines the shared interactions and obtained data that influence an individual's actions. The approach dictates that the process of learning is to change overt behavior. Behavioral change results from how a person responds to immediate events, also known as stimuli in the environment. Response to the stimuli produces consequences such as solving mathematical problems, hitting a ball, defining a word, and others. When there is the reinforcement of a given stimulus-response (S-R) pattern, the person is conditioned to respond. The reinforcement is also known as rewarding a specific positive or desired outcome. The organism can produce responses and not just elicit reactions as a result of the external stimulus.
Key Points
The main element in Skinner's behavior theory is reinforcement. The process is something that strengthens the repetition of the desired outcome. It can be in the form of good grades, verbal praise, or feeling a sense of satisfaction or accomplishment after accomplishing the desired behavior. Skinner also talks about negative reinforcement, which means a stimulus that increases response frequency after a withdrawal. It differs from aversive punishment as a stimulus that reduces responses. The theory also emphasizes the reinforcement schedules, which can be interval versus ratio, and their effects in maintaining or establishing behavior.
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Skinner's central distinct aspect of the theory attempts to provide a behavioral explanation on a wide range of cognitive phenomena. For instance, Skinner provides a basis of motivation or drive in terms of reinforcement and deprivation schedules. Skinner attempts to explain language and verbal learning within the operant conditioning paradigm, though his efforts were rejected firmly by psycholinguists and linguists. Therefore, though not all fields of studies have accepted Skinner’s propositions, he still managed to impact on many other fields such as psychology, education, behaviorism, social sciences and many others.
Peer Review Articles Summary
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an intervention model commonly used by mental health professionals and social workers who have used it in behavioral therapy. Skinners' elucidation and discovery of operant learning have impacted a broad psychology field and other subjects such as philosophy, neuroscience, and education. This theory has an immeasurable impact on our modern understanding of behavioral changes among children and infants and the treatment of behavioral disorders among children.
The peer-review article by Brunkow & Dittrich (2021) argues that Skinner applied an inconsistent argument in describing cultural evolution as a selection process. The authors aim to identify the reasons that influenced Skinner to address the issue of cultural survival. Finally, they found out that Skinner addresses culture by referring to a set of customs, a system of values, and a network of communication and ideas. However, from a behavioral analysis perspective of Brunkow & Dittrich (2021), they show that Skinner describes it as the social reinforcement contingencies. These contingencies maintenance is from the group a person is a part of in the social setting. Thus the authors argue that Skinner's references to cultural practices and social reinforcement concepts vary from one to another. Therefore, the authors say that Skinner employed these concepts not to circumscribe to independent events but used them in broad terms in describing a set of contingencies for social reinforcement.
Skinner’s work has been integrated with other behavioral theories to facilitate behavioral changes among teenagers. The article by Elswick et al. (2020) is another study that covers' Skinner's behavioral therapy. The researchers aim to determine the effectiveness of Tier Two and Tier Three of Therapy Box behavioral therapeutic intervention for a group of selected students. The Therapy Box helps learners increase their social-emotional literacy and to develop self-regulatory skills. Simultaneously, the teacher provides a caring, safe and supportive learning environment in the classroom setting. The authors also add that the Therapy Box is a treatment package comprising Skinner's Behavioral therapy theory and differential Reinforcement for alternative Behavioral Approaches. The authors hypothesize that students will calm down using the box therapy approach, especially those having anger episodes and outbursts within the classroom as part of the play therapy. The intervention requires both teacher and student support to achieve generalization of skills and desired outcomes. The study indicates that the Therapy Box approach is a highly effective behavior therapy approach among at-risk students. The authors also point that the "Therapy Box" was developed from findings from functional behavioral assessment and skinner's differential reinforcement of alternative behavior. These two models are appropriate for teaching replacement behaviors that function like maladaptive behavior through play therapy techniques.
Ivancic &Belisle (2019), in their article mention that unwritten behavioral and rules that govern the applied behavioral science since the time of Skinner have attained considerable success in solving behavioral challenges. These are mainly problems experienced by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In short, the authors are saying that the Behavioral therapy principles, first pointed out by Skinner, are more flexible and most likely to be useful in solving significant challenges experienced by individuals with similar intellectual problems. Ivancic &Belisle (2019) mention the methodological theories on human behavior are ignorant to both developments in rational frame theory and private events.
These models only favor bottom-up inductive approaches that have never addressed the unique human challenges. Due to these challenges, Ivancic &Belisle (2019) have proposed alternative rules that are within contextual behavioral science. This approach is consistent with radical behaviorism proposed by Skinner more than the modern-day methods. In so doing, the authors aim to expand the scope of applied behaviorism science. Ivancic &Belisle (2019) contend that the private events methodological approaches, account on language and bottom-up inductive theorizing are at per Skinner's behavioral therapy approach for treating disabilities. However, the lack of success in other systems directly comes from the rigid adherence to strict rules. Therefore, the authors have suggested a need for more flexible rules consistent with Skinner's behavioral therapy approach so that it became possible to achieve great success in life.
Summary and Conclusion
Behaviorism therapies used in the present day are from Skinner's theories of operant and classical conditioning. This theory's premise is that behavior is learnable, and when there is faulty learning, it causes abnormal behavior. Thus, it is the role of an individual to learn acceptable and correct behavior. Most studies have concurred with Skinner's early proposal on behavioral therapy. The authors have warned that although there are special applications of behavioral science principles such as punishment, reinforcement, generalization, stimulus control, and extinction that other disciplines have developed, such divisions suggest that rules set by the respective divisions in the analysis of behavior hinder behavior science progress. Thus, they propose the need to establish regulations consistent with Skinner's Behavioral Therapy, which calls for the need to adjust our environment and rules to achieve behavioral science success. Skinner's culture concepts are not used to mean independent events and do not contribute to physical survival for an individual. However, Skinner points out that cultural survival is an ethical objective that guides the designing of reinforcement contingencies. Finally, Skinner's theory has been modeled and adopted into modern behavioral therapy approaches. Along with other behavioral theories, the authors investigate the effectiveness of Therapy Box in helping teenagers change their behavior through plays that adopt Reinforcement and student-centered approaches that have proven successful.
References
Elswick, S. E., Hirschi, M., Delavega, M. E., & Casey, L. B. (2020). The Therapy Box in the Classroom: A Function-based Multi-Component Directive Play Therapy Treatment Package Intervention. International Journal of School Social Work , 5 (2), 9.
Ivancic, M., & Belisle, J. (2019). Resolving barriers to an applied science of the human condition: rule governance and used scientists' verbal behavior. The analysis of verbal behavior , 35 (2), 196-220.
Schlinger, H. D. (2021). The impact of BF Skinner's science of operant learning on early childhood research, theory, treatment, and care. Early Child Development and Care , 1-18.
