We all are conditioned by nurturing | But then who are we ?

Hi everyone, I am Vivek and this is my 5th content on Psychology series where I create simple stories to simplify the contents.

We all have learnt certain behaviours but unsure about that this is also called as operant conditioning.

In simple terms, it refers to a situation where human behaviour is shaped by its consequences.

Let me break it down even further, possibly with an example.


Operant conditioning was first demonstrated with rats by Edward Thorndike, but at that time it was referred to as the "Law of Effect."

To understand this, let me explain how it all started.

A rat was locked inside a cage.
Initially, the rat struggled to escape, scratching the cage and sometimes peeking out.
After numerous attempts, it managed to press a lever, which allowed it to escape and receive its favourite food as a reward.

Humans and Animals learn their behavior by trials and errors

The rat learned, "Okay, this is great! I got a reward."

The second time, the rat tried to find the shortest path to the lever and received its favorite food again.

By the third time, the rat had become even smarter in its approach.

This phenomenon is known as positive reinforcement.

Now, pause for a moment and think about humans. We also learn in a similar way.
We adapt to certain behaviours when we realise that we are being rewarded.

On the other hand, if the consequence of an action is unpleasant or harmful, we tend to avoid repeating that action.
This is referred to as negative reinforcement.

Through this theory, it was understood that humans and animals learn through trial and error.

Actions that bring us rewards are reinforced, and we learn them quickly, while actions that result in negative outcomes are avoided.


Now, You're aware of the term Operant conditioning and if you loved it then please support by reposting it and sharing your valuable feedbacks.