Question

Skinner emphasized a scientific approach to the study of behavior, in part, because individual behavior is so unique. Understanding what the average person might do may tell us nothing about a certain individual. However, a science of personality that treats everyone as unique seems to become hopelessly complex, because we must study everyone individually. Does this really seem like a scientific approach, and whether it is or not, can it really help us to understand other people? Provide an example that illustrates the use of operant conditioning to shape your own personality. Can the same principles that shaped your personality be generalized to understanding the personality of others?

Answer 1

Everyone in this world is driven by external motivation. People want to be accepted, appreciated and rewarded for their actions. Thus Operant Conditioning focuses on the expected behaviors through positive reinforcement to continue or start a behavior through rewards, negative reinforcement by withdrawing certain benefits to elicit a behavior and punishment to stop an unwanted behavior. John B. Watson, who belonged to the Behaviorism school, once challenged the entire world with his famous statement, ‘give me a dozen well-formed babies and I will make them whoever you want them to become, such as doctors, engineers etc.’

I used to be lazy during my school days by not doing the home works and assignments properly. My dad kept telling me that I should do it regularly or I won’t get my pocket money. I was badly in need of my pocket money for my expenses while I’m with my friends. So I started completing it regularly and later it became a habit. I was conditioned. When we look at our family, law enforcement agencies, governments, educational institutions and event he animal training, we could see operant conditioning in practice. So, no matter what personality one has or which culture one belongs to, behavior can be shaped through conditioning.