Discussion Assignment: 2 Training and Staff Development

Learning theory: Operant Conditioning
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Learning theory: Operant Conditioning
Definition
A theory is a collection of accepted beliefs or principles, which are organized in a manner that can give a logical explanation of what is under analysis. It can also be defined as a coherent group of propositions which are tested generally and that are considered correct and can be applied as key principles to offer a prediction or an explanation for a given class of phenomena (vocabulary.com, n.d).
Learning theory: Operant Conditioning by B.F. Skinner
In 1937, Skinner coined the term operant conditioning in relation to reflex psychology (Staddon & Cerutti, 2003). His focus was on the role that observation plays in learning instead of focusing on the inner events, which in most cases are mental. By so doing, he did a set of experiments to that effect (McLeod, 2015).
In his first experiment, he placed a hungry rat in a Skinner box. From observation, the rat was inactive initially, but after some time, it began moving around within the box. Upon the rat discovering a lever, it pressed on it. This action culminated into food being released into the box. The rat ate the food and after a considerable amount of time, it pressed against the lever with the same expectations. Anytime it was place in the box, it pressed against the lever, with the same results. This way, learning took place. Food represented the reward and pressing the lever represented an operant response. Much emphasis was on positive reinforcement since it reinforces behaviour (McLeod, 2015).
A practical example is a student being rewarded $ 10 dollars for completing an assignment (McLeod, 2015). They will sure put in mo...