Operant Conditioning (Skinner)
Asked 2 months ago · Viewed 1,494 times
When studying Thorndike's 'primary laws of learning' (Law of Readiness, Law of Exercise, and Law of Effect) alongside Pavlov's 'Classical Conditioning' and Skinner's 'Operant Conditioning', if a teacher in a classroom attempts to strengthen specific desired behavior in students by utilizing positive reinforcement and satisfying outcomes, this pedagogical method is most deeply connected with which primary law of Thorndike and which concept of Skinner?
✓ Correct! Well done.
✗ Not quite — the correct answer is highlighted above.
Detailed Explanation
📌 Core Theoretical Concept:
According to Edward Thorndike's 'Law of Effect', responses that produce a satisfying effect or pleasant consequence are more likely to be repeated in the future, whereas those leading to discomfort are weakened. Similarly, in B.F. Skinner's theory of 'Operant Conditioning', 'Positive Reinforcement' involves presenting a rewarding stimulus immediately after a desired behavior, which significantly increases the likelihood of that behavior recurring. The given classroom scenario emphasizes strengthening desired behaviors through satisfying outcomes and positive reinforcement, which directly bridges Thorndike's Law of Effect with Skinner's concept of Positive Reinforcement. Therefore, option (b) is completely accurate and logically sound.
📊 Key Exam Points:
- Thorndike proposed three primary laws of learning: Law of Readiness, Law of Exercise, and Law of Effect. The Law of Effect served as the foundational bedrock for Skinner's Operant Conditioning.
- Positive reinforcement involves presenting motivating or rewarding stimuli after a desired behavior, thereby increasing response rates.
- Option (a) is incorrect because negative reinforcement deals with removing an aversive stimulus, not yielding satisfying outcomes.
- Options (c) and (d) are incorrect as they pertain to the law of exercise, stimulus generalization, or extinction processes which do not fit the direct context of positive outcomes.
📖 Theoretical Reference: In educational psychology, the behaviorist perspective formulated by theorists like Thorndike and Skinner explains how environmental consequences shape human learning and classroom management. Read more about Learning Theories.
🎯 Exam Perspective: Key Insights for Teacher Exams Detailed Solution ➔
Deep pedagogical analysis: Teacher eligibility exams (such as CTET, UPTET, and state TETs) frequently frame application-based questions linking classical behaviorist frameworks. Whenever questions mention 'satisfaction', 'reward', or 'pleasurable outcomes', associate it directly with Thorndike's Law of Effect. When dealing with 'strengthening behavior' via 'rewards' or 'addition of positive stimuli', map it to Skinner's Positive Reinforcement. Mastering this conceptual overlap ensures high accuracy in pedagogy sections.
Next question →
Under the psychology of learning, upon conducting a micro-analytical study of…
← Previous question
When making an intricate psychological analysis of the…
Related Questions
→
Under the psychology of learning, while closely analyzing Edward Thorndike's 'Primary Laws of Learning' and B.F. Skinner's concept of reinforcement in 'Operant Conditioning', which specific law of Thorndike served as the direct conceptual extension and experimental refinement that later formed the basis of Skinner's 'Schedules of Reinforcement' and response-reaction dynamics?
→
When conducting an in-depth psychological analysis of the role of 'reinforcement' and the nature of stimulus-response among Thorndike's 'Law of Effect', Pavlov's 'Classical Conditioning', and Skinner's 'Operant Conditioning' in the study of learning, which of the following statements most accurately explains the fundamental and functional differences among the three?
→
Upon a deep analysis of the philosophical and functional nature of Thorndike's 'Connectionism', Pavlov's 'Classical Conditioning', and Skinner's 'Operant Conditioning' theories, which of the following statements most accurately explains the distinction among them regarding Stimulus-Response (S-R) and Response-Stimulus (R-S) relationships?
→
In the context of the comparative and psychological analysis of Thorndike's 'Law of Readiness', Pavlov's 'Classical Conditioning', and Skinner's 'Operant Conditioning', which of the following statements most accurately defines the interrelationships of these three theories and their actual role in the learning process?
→
Considering the comparative and analytical study of Edward Thorndike's 'Law of Effect', Ivan Pavlov's 'Classical Conditioning', and B.F. Skinner's 'Operant Conditioning' within educational psychology: If a learner repeatedly completes homework on time after receiving praise (reinforcement) from the teacher in class, and in Pavlov's experiment, salivation is observed in response to the bell's sound, identify the subtle and fundamental technical difference between these two learning systems (Classical vs. Operant Conditioning) that clarifies the control of Stimulus and Response.
→
When conducting a comparative and in-depth analysis of Edward Thorndike's 'Trial and Error Theory' and B.F. Skinner's 'Operant Conditioning Theory' within the psychological principles of learning, which of the following statements most accurately highlights the fundamental and philosophical distinction between these two theories regarding Stimulus-Response (S-R) and Response-Stimulus (R-S) relationships?
→
When comparing the learning theories of Thorndike's Trial and Error Theory, Pavlov's Classical Conditioning, and Skinner's Operant Conditioning, which of the following statements most authentically explains the essential and functional differences regarding Stimulus-Response (S-R) and Response-Stimulus (R-S) relationships among these three theories?
→
When conducting a comparative and subtle psychological analysis of the fundamental learning processes in Thorndike's 'Trial and Error Theory', Pavlov's 'Classical Conditioning', and Skinner's 'Operant Conditioning', which of the following statements most authentically explains the contextual difference between Stimulus-Response (S-R) and Response-Stimulus (R-S) frameworks among these three theories?
Log in
to add to quiz, bookmark, or report issues.