Operant Conditioning

 

 

This is a clip from the television show, The Big Bang Theory, that demonstrates operant conditioning. Although it is considered to be a funny over the top portrayal, many teachers, as discussed in class, use this technique as part of their classroom management. The video shows Sheldon using both positive reinforcement when Penny behaves like he wants her to, and negative reinforcement when Leonard behaves in a way that he doesn’t want him to. In class we discussed how effective this method is, but that it has negative outcomes as well. I think that using operant conditioning can have a positive outcome, especially with younger kids, because they respond almost immediately to the promise of a reward or punishment. On the other hand I do agree that there could be a negative outcome of operant conditioning that teachers should be aware of.

            If a student is always being motivated by punishment or reward, they will not actually be learning to be self motivated in their behaviour, but instead will always be motivated by the idea of the punishment or reward. This could mean that they aren’t actually learning how to behave or how to be self motivated. This could be a negative aspect of operant conditioning, which is why teachers need to be careful of how often they use this sort of motivation. It might be very appealing to use it quite frequently because of the immediate and positive effects it can have on the management of a classroom. I think that it can be and effective method in some situations, but the teacher needs to be aware of when to use it.