Question

Use the principles of classical and operant conditioning to explain how you would teach the baby to become just like Sherlock Holmes – a clever and successful detective, rude, with no interest in relationships. Explain at least five ways you would manipulate the environment to shape the baby to become like Sherlock Holmes. (As an example with dogs, we might shape their environment by putting on a collar that sprays them every time they bark.)

Answer 1

The learning theories of Behaviorism could be used to shape an individual's behaviors by using the principles of classical conditioning and operant conditioning. In Ivan Pavlov's classical conditioning, a behavior is learned by making associations between stimuli, i.e, an unconditioned stimulus is paired with a neutral stimulus to make it a conditioned stimulus that would elicit a conditioned response. In B. F. Skinner's operant conditioning, a behavior is learned by making associations between the behavior and the consequences of that behavior. When a behavior is followed by a reinforcement, the behavior is strengthened, when the behavior is followed by a punishment, the behavior is weakened.

* The child's behavior is manipulated by making him more involved in to solving problems like, giving him task where he needs to solve the puzzle or find out where a thing is hidden or find who did a particular activity and then he must be rewarded with reinforcements like appreciation or by giving chocolates. As the child grows up, these tasks must be progressively increased in to more complex tasks and the rewards must also be improved gradually, such as giving him money or whatever he finds rewarding.

To condition a child to become a detective like Sherlock Holmes,

* The child is made to learn more things and acquire more knowledge by making him read book or watch movies related to detective findings, or crimes thrillers so that he can get more involved in it. And when he successfully performs such behaviors, he must be rewarded.

* To make the child rude, he could be punished whenever he behaves in a friendly or a loving manner with someone, so that he reduces the behavior of being nice. For example, when he engages in play with other children, he is punished by warning strictly that he should not be friendly with others, and this punishment will make him less friendly.

* When the child grows up, he could be conditioned to produce aversive responses towards girls to make him lose interest in relationships. For example, The first time he gets involved with a girl, the girl is manipulated to insult him, or make him feel bad, so that he would associate the bad feelings with relationships and will avoid getting in to relationships in the future.

* He is also conditioned to associate the successful completion of a case with the feelings of happiness and achievement, so that he would complete more cases in order to feel happy and accomplished.