Skinner's Behaviorism Theory
Behaviorism stems from B. F. Skinner's (1938) study of operant conditioning, which forms the basis for the theory. Operant conditioning is also known as the molding of behavior with use of reinforcement and punishment. This was discovered in the conditioning of lab rats to repeat certain behaviors either by the encouragement of earning a treat or the distaste for the punishment of receiving a shock.
Skinner's theory, which provides grounds for faith in behaviorism, explains why a baby is prone to laughing or smiling more frequently if a caretaker returns the gesture. This reciprocation, considered approval, encourages infants to repeat the behavior in approval more frequently. In other words, positivity results in the repetition of a certain response to a stimulus. This basic understanding of how infants and most humans work in general is what allows for successful child rearing. Utilizing operant conditioning is important in assisting the behavioral development of all children.
Editor's note: My parents used operant conditioning in giving me soft toys from a box I could not open independently whenever I would use my training toilet properly when they were trying to wean me off diapers. Being allowed to play with my best toys when I succeeded in using the toilet provided me with incentive to continue the behavior, making operant conditioning a huge factor in my behavioral progresses.
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