It is natural for individuals to be tempted to complete a task in return for a reward. Behaviorism, the “science of behavior”, was created by psychologist John Watson who studied the relationship between stimuli and responses. (Psychology). Behaviorism focuses on observable behaviors which are a measurement of a person’s behavior. Behaviorism also illustrates how the brain responds to external stimuli. (Wede Psych 100 Lecture 2). Negative and positive reinforcements play a role in this theory of psychology and the study of how individuals react to rewards and punishments.

I have had my own personal experience with being the administrator of positive and negative reinforcements and observing how a child’s behavior changed by using behaviorism. Two summers ago, I was a counselor for Bunk 4, a group of eight year old girls who could best be described as fun loving, curious, and slightly wild at an overnight camp. One camper exhibited certain behavior and communication tendencies that isolated her from the rest of the bunk. The camper would withdraw at times, and act out with sudden outbursts on other occasions. I worked together with her to manage her behaviors and to minimize her distractions to the bunk. She struggled to wake up on time, participate in activities, shower when asked to, and interact with her bunkmates appropriately. At first, it was difficult to come up with a solution, but we eventually found one that worked by using behaviorism. Every time she would act appropriately, such as by waking up on time, she earned a sticker for her behavior chart. The sticker acted as positive reinforcement as it emphasized her good behavior. If the camper acted out inappropriately, negative reinforcement was used. It was my job to give her a hand signal that we agreed upon as a warning that a sticker could be lost. Each week we would count her stickers and depending upon the amount of stickers earned, she was able to chose a reward that ranged from a candy bar to extra time at an activity she enjoyed.

By employing behaviorism, I had the opportunity to change my camper’s behavior in a positive manner. Both my camper and I grew from this experience and I had the chance to use positive and negative reinforcement firsthand. Her summer was turned around as she positively  interacted and made strong connections with her bunkmates and myself.

Ciccarelli, Saundra K., and J. Noland White. Psychology. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2012. Print.