In our psych class we have been learning about the different ways that we learn behavior. Operant conditioning is the way we form associations between behaviors and resulting events. Edward Thorndike developed the law of effect which states that things that result in a satisfying experience are more likely to occur again in a similar situation. Positive and negative punishments and reinforcements help teach individuals acceptable versus unacceptable behavior. Looking back now, I realize that this is how we learn and these things shape who we are.

For example, when I was in 8th grade, I got in trouble for chewing gum during class, which was against our school policy. My math teacher caught me and gave me a detention for after school. This was a positive punishment because it was added instead of removed and I was forced to stay after school to serve my detention. I learned that I had to follow the rules or else I was going to get in trouble. After that I never received another detention because I had learned my lesson due to the punishment. When I was younger, my parents punished me by not allowing me to hang with friends on the weekend. At first, I didn’t believe their threats, but I realized I was wrong the hard way. One time my parents punished me because I was being rude to them. That was the weekend of one of my friends birthday parties and they refused to let me go. This is an example of negative punishment because they removed something that I had desire for.

In 6th grade, one of the assignments that we had to do during the school year was to read twenty-five books. Every time we finished a book, we let our teacher know and as a result she gave us a sticker to put next to our name on a poster in the back of the room. This was a positive reinforcer as we were given something valuable to let us know we were doing a good job and which strengthened our behavior by presenting a positive stimuli.  Everyday we exemplify negative reinforcements by doing things to avoid unpleasant events. For example, when I drive places, I drive the speed limit because I am trying to avoid a speeding ticket.

These are all examples of operant conditioning that I have experienced because I have learned what to do in a certain situation. After learning about operant conditioning, it makes sense that these type of punishments and reinforcements would teach us things and change the way we behave. We realize after experiences what is right and what is wrong due to these punishments and reinforcers which allow us to act the same way or differently when in a similar situation.