Reasons for Adam's Behavior: Operational Conditioning

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Case Study
* Reasons for Adam's Behavior; Operational Conditioning
Adam's story showcases a case of defiance and aggressive behavior of a teenager in school. Ideally, this is a common phenomenon, especially among teenagers who are yet to discover themselves or their place in their society. There are possible causes for Adam's defiant behavior, and his neighborhood and family likely are to blame. Still, using operational conditioning theory, it is possible to identify some other reasons why Adam might be acting as he does.
First, Adam might be looking for attention from his peers and teachers. As per the operational conditioning theory, character and continuous behaviors are built after a series of trials. Here, if an individual is rewarded, their behavior is reinforced, and they are prompted to repeat the same, expecting more reward (Skinner, 1963). The opposite is true for undesired behaviors; when one is punished for an action, they do not repeat it. Adam might be seeking attention from the school community, and since he cannot get it positively, he results in aggression and defiant behavior (Brugman, 2018). The reward, in this case, is that every time he causes disturbances, bullies other students, fights them, or hurls insults at his classmates, they fear him and talk about him. Ideally, he desires recognition and often feels powerful when everyone acknowledges his presence. For instance, if he goes into the dining area and finds everyone silent, he disturbs smaller boys and ensures everyone knows he is around.
Conversely, Adam might be trying to hide his weaknesses in his academics by being defiant to the system or rules. As i...