Self-control model by B.F Skinner

1)Burrhus Frederic Skinner was an American psychologist and a philosopher. 

He is categorized as a behaviourist following his famous rat experiment which he conducted to demonstrate that behaviour is influenced not by individuals’ will but by other variables which are external to the individuals.

3)He explained the role of reward/reinforcement and punishment in this theory and proved experimentally that the behaviour or actions are influenced by their consequences whether they will be repeated or not.

The experiment 

1)He took a hungry rat and placed it in a cage and then placed a lever and a food tray. Since the rat was hungry, it would wander in the cage sniffing everywhere and accidentally stepped on the lever, which would trigger the release of a food pellet into the food tray. Skinner observed that the frequency of pressing the lever increased up to the time when the rat was no longer hungry.

2)This experiment drove Skinner to reach the conclusion that there is nothing like free will but rather, behaviour was a consequence of our actions. If actions carry positive rewards, the corresponding behaviours are perfected. Similarly, if certain behaviours are not rewarded, they are avoided.

3)The argument on stimulus control is based on the fact that there is a stimulus which is present during the reinforcement or punishment of a response and thus that particular stimulus is associated with that reinforcement or punishment of the response to the extend that the response is likely or unlikely to occur in the presence of that stimulus.

4)Self control can also be achieved through what Skinner calls distraction or simply doing something else. This applies to situations when individuals are surrounded by tempting behaviours and they can easily fall to those temptations. Such individuals can control themselves by redirecting their attention away from the targets.

On the basis of this experiment, Skinner explained

1)Positive Reinforcement: Reward given for some behaviour or actions.

2)Negative Reinforcement: the rat avoided the unpleasant consequence and behaved desirably as to avoid current in the box, rat changed the route or waited for the time so that current is shut off or closed the flow of current.

Punishment: Giving punishment or verbally prohibiting to that particular actions.

It is designed to weaken or eliminate the behaviours. For example: scolding, deducting pocket money, etc.

Types of Reinforcement

1)Continuous Reinforcement (Lever is pressed and food is obtained)

Response rate is Slow

Extinction rate is Fast

2)Fixed Ratio Reinforcement (reward is given after every 5 successful attempts)

Response rate is Fast

Extinction rate is Medium

3)Fixed Interval Reinforcement (after a fixed interval reward is given instead of attempt)

Response rate is Medium

Extinction rate is Medium

4)Variable Ratio Reinforcement 

Response rate is Fast.

Extinction rate is Slow due to the fact that of unpredictability of reward.

5)Variable Interval Reinforcement 

Response rate is Fast

 Extinction rate is Slow

Educational Implication of Skinner Theory 

1)We can use positive, negative and punish behaviour to get desired behaviour.

2) Time to time motivation is important to get desired results in the classroom.

3)Helpful in time to time feedbacks, compliments, etc. Work as rewards and guide behaviours in classroom or learning settings.

4)Helpful in management of the classroom behaviours among learners.

5)Helpful in shaping skills in learners.

Demerits of skinners self-control model

1)Some individual do not bother to this.

2)Punishment can sometime affect the psychology of the learners can make them fearful.

3)He did not included cognitive factor in this theory.

4)Some psychologists say that animal study cannot be generalised on humans due to difference in their factors and environment.