Question

can someone give an examples for the following:

- Positive reinforcement

- Negative reinforcement

- Positive punishment

- Negative punishment

- Fixed , variable ratio

- Fixed , variable interval

Answer 1

Operant Conditioning Theory: B.F.Skinner is a behaviorist psychologist who explained that we can manipulate behaviors of people with the help of rewards and punishments. This theory is called Operant conditioning theory. It has 4 types. Those are positive reinforcement, Negative reinforcement, Positive punishment, and negative punishment.

Positive Reinforcement:  In this process, we will direct a person's behavior in the desired way by giving rewards to the person. To receive those rewards the person likes to perform the desired  behavior.

Example: Colleges provide gold medals to top rankers. To receive gold medal students like to read.

Negative Reinforcement: In this process, we will direct a person's behavior in the desired way by subtracting unwanted things from the person. We will do benefit the person by substracting unwanted things from him.

Example: Students no need to pay fine if they came to college daily. Here fine is an unwanted thing. We will remove it if they came to college regularly.

Positive Punishment: In this process, we will punish a person to stop a certain behavior.

Example: Imprisonment is the punishment for doing the robbery.

Negative Punishment: In this process, we will subtract wanted things from a person to stop a certain behavior.

Example: Salary will be reduced for putting so many leaves. Here money is wanted thing, we will reduce that for putting leaves.

Fixed Ratio: The ratio between the two variables will be the same.

Example: Salesman will receive 100 rupees for every dress he is selling. Here 1:100 is the ratio and that ratio is fixed.

Variable Ratio: The ratio between the two variables will vary.

Example: Irrespective of the number of items he is cooking, the chef will receive money. Sometime he will cook so many items and he will take his daily payment. Some times he will cook only one item and he will take same amount of daily payment. The ratio between number of items he is cooking and the money he is taking will vary.

Fixed interval: The time gap between the two moments will be the same.

Example: Employees will receive a salary once in 30 days. Here the time gap between the two salaries is 30 days. So that it is a fixed interval.

Variable Interval: The time gap between the two moments will vary.

Example: Stockholders don't know when they will receive profits. Some times they will receive profits in days. Some times they will receive profits in years. Here time gap between two profits is varying that's why it is a variable interval.