This document summarizes a presentation on behaviorism and operant conditioning. It discusses B.F. Skinner's theory of operant conditioning, which states that behaviors reinforced with positive outcomes will be repeated. Examples of operant conditioning like rewarding good grades in school or money for work performance are provided. The presentation reviews the history of behaviorism, defines key concepts, and outlines the steps in a behavior modification model to change behaviors.

1. What Motivates You?
Shauna F. King, M.Ed.
May 2013
EDUC 7011: How Adults Learn
Dr. Stacy Wahl

2. Overview
•Presentation will last about 30 minutes.
•Handout will provide key information.
•Please provide feedback with the provided evaluation
form.
•Relax and enjoy!
“Remember, the only person’s work
that is being graded is mine!”

3. About Your
Presenter
Shauna is currently a graduate course instructor with The Regional Training Center
and a certified presenter for The Upside Down Organization, Inc. She has worked in
various roles in public and non-public school settings, including principal, program and
intervention specialist, peer mediation teacher and secondary classroom teacher.
Shauna worked as the PBIS coordinator in one of the largest school districts in the
state of Maryland. Because of her commitment to this initiative, she was invited to join
the Maryland PBIS State Leadership Team where she served as a state level trainer.
Shauna has a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education from Morgan State
University of Baltimore and a Masters of Education from Bowie State University. She is
currently pursuing her doctoral of education degree in Adult Education from Walden
University.
Shauna is married to a school administrator and the mother of two young children. She
is also an active member of her church where she has served on the Board of
Directors and most recently held the position of principal at Renaissance Christian
Academy in Prince George’s County, MD.

4. What are our objectives?
1. Review the history of behaviorism.
2.Construct a definition of behaviorism as
provided by B. F. Skinner
2. Recognize how behavioral theory is utilized to
motivate adult behavior.
3.Identify and provide examples of reinforcement
in society.
4. Identify the steps in the Behavior Modification
Model.

5. Let’s See What you Already Know
Fact or Myth

6. Facts and Myths
About Motivation
1. A behaviorist theory is based on the idea that
behaviors that are reinforced will tend to continue,
while behaviors that are punished will eventually end.
FACT.Reward what you want
someone to do again and ignore
what you want them to stop doing.

7. Facts and Myths
About Kids and Learning
2. An example of Skinner’s reinforcement
theory is when a schoolteacher awards
points to those students who are the
most calm and well-behaved.
FACT -Students eventually realize that when they are
voluntarily better behaved, that they earn more
points.

8. Facts and Myths
About Motivation
3. Operant conditioning is the same as classical
conditioning.
Myth: In operant conditioning, a voluntary
response is then followed by a reinforcing
stimulus. In contrast, classical conditioning is
when a stimulus automatically triggers an
involuntary response.

9. Common Confusion
History of Behavioral Theorists
Classical Conditioning
Ivan Pavlov
behavior can come from deep roots, which may take years to
unlearn
Stimulus coupled with physiological response:
Research w/ dogs- animals were conditioned
to certain stimuli (bells)
Operant Conditioning
B.F. Skinner
Behaviors are made from conscious decision
- through rewards and punishment:
-Positive behavior is reinforced= repeated
-Bad behavior is disciplined= not favored

10. B.F. Skinner
Skinner’s work, known as Operant Conditioning, can
be simplified as,
Skinner's theory simply states that adult behaviors
that lead to positive outcomes will be repeated and
behaviors that lead to negative outcomes will not be
repeated (Skinner, 1953).

11. Operant Conditioning
“If a behavior is reinforced or rewarded, the response
is more likely to occur again under similar conditions.”
Learning in adulthood.
Merriam, Caffarella, and Baumgarter
Operant conditioning
(i.e. rewarding good behavior)
is the key to behavioral learning.
By rewarding behaviors we want repeated (and also by
punishing bad behaviors) we influence the likelihood
of that behavior being repeated.

12. Examples of operant conditioning.
•Many parents reward their
kids for good grades on a
report card.
•Money is given as a reward
in the work place in hopes
that the behaviors and
productivity will continue.

13. Operant Conditioning

14. What Motivates You?
• Describe the actions and behaviors of your
manager or supervisor that you respond to
most effectively?

15. Development of
Behavior Through Learning
• Reinforcement is anything that increases the
likelihood of a response
– Operant behaviors – responses emitted without a
stimulus necessarily being present
– Operant conditioning involves shaping and
reinforcing operant behaviors
– Shaping deliberately molding the organism’s
responses through series of reinforcements in
order to achieve a desired behavior

16. Operant Conditioning
• Change in consequences of response will
affect the rate at which the response occurs
• Most of human behavior learned this way
• Behaviors that work are frequently displayed;
ineffective behaviors are not repeated.

17. • Operant Conditioning- B.F. Skinner
– Behaviors are made from conscious decision
through rewards and punishment:
- Positive behavior is reinforced= repeated
- Bad behavior is disciplined= not favored

18. Click Below to View A
Hilarious Example of
Operant Conditioning!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f61DzYn-VU4

19. Does it work?
• How many men think that
it is possible to modify
the behavior of your
spouse or significant
other?
• How many women think
they can modify the
behavior of their
husbands/significant
others?

20. The Formula For Change
A= Shared Dissatisfaction with the current state
B= Clear vision of the desired state
C= Knowledge of the steps for getting there
X= The cost of change
(A+B+C) > X
Garmston,R. J. (1999) The adaptive school: A sourcebook for developing collaborative groups

21. The Behavior Modification Model
Precursor: Denial
Awareness
– You realize that you actually think or behave in a way that is
unhealthy or less than ideal
 Desire to Change
– No change will occur without a desire to stop or change a bad
behavior, even when it become obvious how damaging it might be.
 Cognitive Restructuring
– You catch yourself in the act of an undersirable behavior and think
of a new and suitable alternative.
 Behavioral Substitution
– An undesirable behavior is consciously replaced with a healthy or
stress-reducing behavior.
 Evaluation
– Analyze whether or not the new behavior worked and figure out
what can be done to fine-tune this process when the occasion arises
again

22. Individual Activity
Follow steps to initiate Behavior Modification
1. What is one undesirable behavior that you
are aware that you do?
2. Ask yourself how motivated you are to
change this behavior. Ask yourself if the
costs will outweigh the benefits.

23. 3. What changes in your perceptions and attitudes
must accompany this behavioral change?
4. What new behavior do you wish to adopt to replace
the old behavior? (It is best to think positively for
example “I would like to show up on time”
Instead of negatively “I don’t want to be late”.
5. After trying the new behavior, ask yourself how you
did. Was your first or second attempt successful?
Why or why not? If not, what other approach can
you take to accomplish your goal?

24. An Easy Way to Remember…
All Disciplined Children Behave Excellently!
• Awareness
• Desire to Change
• Cognitive Restructuring
• Behavioral Substitution
• Evaluation

25. Final Thoughts
• Behavior can be controlled by consequences-
type of reinforcement following the behavior
• Behavior and learning theorists emphasize
experience and learning as the primary forces
that shape human behavior.

26. References
Garmston,R. J. (1999) The adaptive school: A
sourcebook for developing collaborative groups.
Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and Human
Behavior. New York: Free Press.

27. I want to hear from you!
• Your opinion is
valued. Please
take this time to
complete the
evaluation form
that accompanies
this presentation.