Activity 1 - Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning occurs when rewards are given to an individual in order to elicit a certain behavior. The reward serves as a positive reinforcer. Every time there is a reward, the individual will perform the desired behavior. Also, the absence of the reward forces the individual to perform the behavior in order to get the reward. Once conditioning occurs, the individual will perform the expected behavior regardless of the reward.

Activity 1 will help you visualize this concept. This activity exmploys B.F. Skinner's experiment, the Skinner Box (image above). Instead of the rat, however, this simulated experiment uses a bird. Your task is to condition the bird to hit the button with its beak. As the experimenter, you have to reward once you see the desired behavior. In other words, feed the bird only after you see it hit the button.

Enter Acitivity 1