Understanding How Operant Conditioning, Punishment, And Reinforcement Change Behavior

Rewards often inspire repeated instances of desired behaviors, while punishments tend to make it less likely that someone will continue engaging in unwanted behavior. Operant conditioning is the term used to describe the primary manner in which humans are programmed to learn. This method can influence meaningful, lasting behavioral change when applied psychologically with a structured framework. 

Moving forward, we will detail the similarities and differences among the types of operant conditioning, who might benefit from working with operant conditioning, and how online therapy can provide a safe, empowering space to work on changing your behavior or your child’s behavior.

What is operant conditioning?

The operant conditioning theory was first developed by behaviorist B.F. Skinner, who used "operant" to refer to active behaviors interacting with the environment to create consequences. Operant conditioning is based on the idea that reinforced behaviors are strengthened, making them more likely to happen again, while discouraged or punished behavior is weakened and less likely to be repeated. Various operant conditioning reinforcement schedules indicate that the strength and duration of effects can vary according to how often reinforcement is applied. 

Operant conditioning is a teaching method that utilizes punishments and reinforcement to shape behavior. This strategy forms a connection between behaviors and positive or negative consequences. From training animals to raising children and far beyond, humans use operant conditioning in many ways—whether we realize it or not.  

How operant conditioning punishment and reinforcement affect behavior

People often learn and shape their models for acceptable behaviors through operant conditioning. Parents reinforce desired behaviors with positive reinforcement. For example, while potty training, caregivers may clap and cheer when a child uses the toilet, inspiring positive feelings and making them more likely to repeat the action. Adolescents may be grounded or lose electronic privileges as negative reinforcement to discourage undesirable behavior.  

Let’s explore the difference between punishments and reinforcements.

Punishment

In operant conditioning, punishment is an adverse or uncomfortable consequence in response to an action. Punishments – which can be positive or negative – are meant to weaken unwanted behavior, making it less likely to be repeated in the future. In positive punishment, punishment is added to a situation. For example, spanking a child or giving a teenager sentences to write are positive punishments that apply a new element to the circumstances. 

Conversely, negative punishment involves the removal of a reward from a situation, which might look like taking away phone or video privileges from a teenager.

Reinforcement

In contrast to punishment, reinforcement is meant to strengthen desirable behaviors, making the subject more likely to repeat the action in the future. Reinforcement either adds a favorable consequence or removes an undesired situation. In positive reinforcement, a reward is added to a situation. For example, your manager may give you a bonus after seeing you put in extra effort, reinforcing the behavior you used to achieve that recognition.

Negative reinforcement involves the removal of a punishment or unpleasant stimuli from a situation. Many vehicles are programmed to make an annoying sound when the driver isn't wearing a seatbelt, so people learn to wear seatbelts to stop the irritating sound. 

In short, punishments and reinforcements can be either positive or negative. The key difference is that while reinforcements often model or imply desired replacement behaviors, punishments do not. For this reason, it is generally advised that parents use reinforcement over punishment, as youth’s brains may not connect the punishment to the behavior a parent desires. Additionally, research shows that reinforcement works significantly faster in achieving desired behavioral effects when compared to punishment.

Who can benefit from operant conditioning?

When you know what to look for, you can see examples of operant conditioning in the world around you. There are several “schedules” by which people can use operant conditioning reinforcement:

• Continuous reinforcement: affirming a response every time it occurs
• Fixed-ratio schedules: affirming a response only after it has occurred a certain number of times
• Fixed-interval schedules: affirming a response after specific time intervals have passed 
• Variable-ratio schedules: affirming behavior following a varied number of responses
• Variable-interval schedules: affirming behavior after varied time intervals have passed

Different reinforcement schedules may be better suited for different purposes or groups of people. Let’s explore some of the populations that may reap the most benefits from utilizing operant conditioning.

People with mental health conditions

Research shows that operant conditioning can help people with mental health conditions recognize maladaptive behavior patterns and reshape them into positive, productive habits. For example, a person living with a substance use disorder may collaborate with a rehabilitation center psychologist or group therapy setting (like AA) to participate in a system where they receive reinforcement (such as receiving tokens) for abstaining from illicit substances after a certain amount of time, be it days, weeks, months, or even years.

Someone striving to recover from a traumatic event may partner with a one-on-one therapist who uses reinforcement every time the client successfully chooses and implements a positive coping mechanism (like deep breathing) instead of maladaptive or reactive behavior (like shutting down or lashing out). 

Symptoms of mental health conditions such as mood disorders, sleep disorders, eating disorders, and personality disorders can also be mitigated in environments where an affected person is practicing more appropriate and healthy coping mechanisms compared to ones that seem to work against them.

Parents

Many parents and guardians use the principles of operant conditioning to teach their children how the world works and provide consequences for their actions. Rewards like treats or screen time or physical punishments like spanking or standing in the corner can shape behavior patterns. 

The prefrontal cortex – which houses connections to judgment, personality, and decision-making – is one of the last parts of the human brain to develop, often finishing in the mid-20s of someone’s life. Because of this phenomenon, reinforcement is likely to be more effective when working with children and adolescents whose brains are still developing. That’s because reinforcement tends to promote or teach a replacement behavior.

Research has long highlighted the adverse effects of spanking or physical punishment on the socio-emotional development, self-regulation, and cognitive development of children. Studies show that children – and even adults – who have been spanked are more likely to develop anxiety and depression disorders.

School environments

Children can learn from an early age which behaviors are encouraged and discouraged through the reactions of the people around them. Reinforcement and punishment teach them which actions to repeat and which to avoid. 

Many behavior modification programs create a token economy, where positive reinforcement strengthens desired behaviors by earning tangible prizes, such as tokens, treats, stickers, or other items that can later be exchanged for more significant rewards. Many teachers utilize operant conditioning in the classroom by creating a token system with stickers for good daily behavior, leading to a larger future reward or removing recess privileges when homework isn't completed. 

Other settings

In the workplace, a particular behavior is often reinforced or punished with performance reviews, promotions, raises, or bonuses—or suspensions, demotions, and terminations. Operant conditioning works in interpersonal relationships too. For example, if you have a high-strung friend who handled a stressful situation calmly, you can praise their efforts to reinforce the positive value they attach to balanced reactions. If your partner comes to your aid when you have a flat tire, you might reward the behavior by cooking their favorite meal. 

Below are some practical ways in which operant conditioning may appear:

• Applauding and cheering during an encore to encourage an artist to come back out on stage and perform one more song
• Taking a cell phone from a teenager who refuses to clean their room
• Rewarding a dog with a treat when they correctly perform a trick
• Publicly reprimanding an employee for being late to work
• Offering an opportunity to exempt a final exam due to perfect attendance or academic excellence
• Praising siblings for positive behaviors like sharing toys
• Taking a crying child out of a restaurant rather than rewarding the tantrum
• Awarding quarterly bonuses in the workplace

How operant conditioning can be applied in online therapy

Operant conditioning is one of the primary components of a psychotherapy approach called cognitive behavioral therapy. CBT can be used to improve symptoms for people living with mental health conditions. Your therapist can help you identify how a mental illness – such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) – affects your thoughts and behaviors, developing practical punishments and rewards you can apply in daily life to help manage symptoms and your reactions to them. 

Through operant conditioning and cognitive behavioral therapy, your therapist will offer support as you examine your past experiences to recognize unhealthy patterns and work to reshape them into desired behaviors. 

By encouraging you to reward yourself when you demonstrate the desired behaviors and praising your efforts during sessions, your therapist can help you increase the frequency of desired behaviors. For example, you may be living with an anxiety disorder, and your therapist could praise your efforts to make a difficult call or complete a challenging task. 

Similarly, by helping you find healthy ways to discourage or punish unwanted behaviors, operant conditioning in online therapy can make it easier to reduce actions you don’t want to see, such as conflict avoidance, boundary-crossing, and becoming defensive.

How online therapy can help you modify your behaviors

It can be challenging to implement effective operant conditioning reinforcement without help. Consider working with a licensed therapist online through a virtual teletherapy platform like BetterHelp for the support and guidance of a mental health professional. Psychotherapy can help you modify behaviors with positive and negative reinforcement and punishment in an operant conditioning framework. 

Many people may enjoy the benefits of online therapy compared to traditional, in-person therapy. BetterHelp enables users to schedule video conference calls, make phone calls, or send text messages in the moment. You can meet virtually with your therapist from any location with a secure Internet connection, such as your home or office. 

Qualified counselors frequently utilize CBT to help patients explore the connection between their thought patterns and feelings. Studies show that online and face-to-face CBT treatments provide similar results. Many patients reported lower costs, shorter wait times, and a comprehensive network of licensed providers with teletherapy platforms.