Skinner And His Contribution On Behaviorism And Operant...

Human behavior has been an important topic and has been studied by many psychologists for many years now. B.F. Skinner was known as one of the most controversial intellectual figures of the late twentieth century who introduced behavior analysis and the idea of reinforcement (Myers, 2010). Skinner developed much of his work based from the law of effect by Edward Thorndike, who was also known as a philosopher. This research paper will focus on B.F. Skinner and his contribution on behaviorism and operant conditioning. This paper will provide an in-depth explanation on the concept and development of behavior analysis, B.F. Skinner was one of the most controversial intellectual figures of the late twentieth century. He was well-known as an American psychologist, philosopher, scientist, and poet. He was born on March 20, 1904 in the small town of Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. After receiving his B.A. in English literature in 1926, Skinner decided to attend Harvard University, in which he later earned his masters in psychology in 1930 and his doctorate in 1931. He spent most of his professional life teaching at different Universities, but remained in Harvard University for the rest of his life. He first showed interests in psychology after researching about John B. Watson and Ivan Pavlov experiments, which focuses on stimulus-response paradigm. Both of Watson and Pavlov work on classical conditioning inspired Skinner, which led him to acquire his degreeShow MoreRelatedWatson, Skinner and Tolman Essay1627 Words   |  7 PagesDuring the 20th century, the science of psychology developed a role that ident ified it as an essential of life. John B. Watson, B.F. Skinner, and Edward Tolman are a vital part of that journey transcending from the 19th century to what is now known as â€Å"modern day psychology† in 2012. In this succinct writing the contributions of each man will be revealed and deliberation to define their difference shall be incorporated herein. Although, each psychologist has commonalities in their perspectivesRead MoreSkinner, Behaviorism, And Operant Conditioning1671 Words   |  7 PagesSkinner took major efforts toward the approach of behaviorism to expand the field, following the initial works of Edward Thorndike. He was instrumental in redesigning and defining the law of effect. Skinner segmented behaviorism into two main sections such as respondent conditioning and operant conditioning. He associated that the later the consequences tailored to the behaviors are manipulated, the more frequent similar scenarios are played out in the future. Introduction SkinnerRead MoreVerbal Behavior and Verbal Response1328 Words   |  5 PagesSkinner, in ‘A review of B. F. Skinner’s verbal Behavior’ and ‘Selections from Science and Human Behavior’, discusses the idea of operant conditioning in human behavior, and functional analysis in human verbal behavior respectively. Both ideas seek to explain human behavior, whether in physical action or in verbal communication. Operant conditioning takes its root from Thorndike’s law of effect, dealing with reinforcing consequences that are contingent on a response (or specified behavior). FunctionalRead MoreThe Effects Of Operant Conditioning And Positive Reinforcement1332 Words   |  6 Pages B.F. Skinner was considered a pioneer in the development of operant conditioning and positive reinforcement. While some of his radical views, such as the illusion of free will, garnered criticism, his contributions to the field of behaviorism, most notably â€Å"The Skinn er Box†, made him an influential psychologist. B. F. Skinner was born on March 20, 1904 in Susquehanna Pennsylvania, a small railroad town where he enjoyed roaming the countryside. From a young age, Skinner demonstrated his intelligenceRead MoreBehaviorism As A Psychological Theory Of Human Development942 Words   |  4 Pages Behaviorism at its finest Life circumstances or events can predict the way that most people behave or handle situation. It is also believed that ones behavior is effected based on the positive or negative reinforcements received all throughout a persons life. Behaviorism is a psychological theory of human development that posits that humans can be trained, or conditioned, to respond in specific ways to specific stimuli and that given the correct stimuli, personalities and behaviors of individualsRead MoreAn Influential Psychologists Of All Times906 Words   |  4 Pagesis Burrhus Frederic Skinner, also known as B. F. Skinner, who was born on March 20, 1904 in a small town called Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. B. F. Skinner was raised in a warm and wealthy home. His father was a lawyer and his mother was a stay at home mom. In Skinner’s early childhood, it was noted that he and his younger brother, Edward James, liked to build things such as arrows and shack in the woods, to name a few ( ). These cons truction skills would enable an older Skinner to build the equipmentRead MoreThe Role of Research and Statistics in the Field of Psychology1359 Words   |  6 PagesJohn B. Watson work on classical behaviorism that paved the way for B. F. Skinners radical or operant behaviorism which has had a large impact on educational systems. Watson was one of the influential psychologists of the twentieth century. His material is still used in most psychology and educational psychology texts. Watson helped with defining the study of behavior anticipated Skinners emphasis on operant conditioning and the importance of learning and environmental influencesRead MoreBehaviorism The Developmental Grand Theory1525 Words   |  7 PagesBehaviorism the Developmental Grand Theory Hillary C. Wade Cisco College Author Note This paper was prepared for Psychology 2314 Lifespan Growth and Development, Fall Mini-Semester, Taught by Linda Grant. Abstract Out of all the theories of lifespan development, behaviorism has proven to be the most efficient explanation of how we grow and adapt with our environments. Also known as the learning theory, it was developed by John B. Watson, and with major contributions from B.F. Skinner and Ivan PavlovRead MoreA Comparison of Theorist1317 Words   |  6 Pagesand B.F. Skinner are just two of the many theorists that have formed the organization in today’s classrooms. This paper will address the differences in the theories and the similarities. It will describe how each theory can be implemented in the learning environment of an early childhood classroom. Lastly, it will describe each theory that will be compared supported by research. Comparison of two Theories Operant Behavior Conditioning of Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1904-1990) BF Skinner renownedRead MoreOperant Conditioning by B. F Skinner1580 Words   |  7 Pagesrealizing it, and most of the time, they don’t know why they do them. Certain reinforcements, some positive, and some negative have conditioned their actions and thoughts. In this essay, I chose Burrhus Frederic Skinner who came up with the theory of operant conditioning. B. F. skinner,(March 20, 1904 – August 18, 1990) is an American psychologist who believed that we do have such a thing as a mind, but that it is simply more productive to study observable behavior rather than internal mental

Globalization, Privatization, and Militarization Impacts...

Globalization, Privatization, and Militarization: Impacts on Criminal Justice INTRODUCTION Over the years, the criminal justice system has seen many changes. These changes have taken place due to the economy, social changes, environmental changes, and even cultural changes. Three items in particular that have affected the criminal justice system world-wide are globalization, privatization, and militarization. This paper will discuss the history of globalization, privatization, militarization, and cover the impacts that each has had on the criminal justice system. It is through being able to recognize these impacts that one can plan and prepare to adapt to an ever-evolving system. GLOBALIZATION DEFINITION AND HISTORY Merriam-Webster†¦show more content†¦Privatization has grown exponentially over the years as the government continues to try to find more economic ways to conduct business. Through the use of contracts, this is achieved by utilizing the lowest bidder. Should the work being done not meet the standards set forth, the contract is not renewed and the process begins again saving the government money by not having to hire Civil Servants who are then employees of the government, whom do not have a contract and are very difficult to get rid of should their work not be satisfactory. IMPACTS OF PRIVATIZATION ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE When it comes to the criminal justice system, the major impact of privatization has been the prisons. With the privatizing of correctional facilities, corruption can likely occur. PICO National Network (2011) uncovered very damaging evidence of corruption within the criminal justice system. PICO stated â€Å"Many Americans were shocked to learn that two Pennsylvania judges accepted ‘cash-for-kids,’ kickbacks from for-profit-juvenile detention companies in exchange for locking up young people for very minor offenses† (p. 2). This is just one example of what can come from privatization. One other aspect is the lack of oversight of the actual contract. There is no minimum required wage set forth for the workers. This can lead to underpaid, overworked employees that are tasked with guarding maximum securityShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesParadigm for an Urban World †¢ Howard Spodek 53 3 Women in the Twentieth-Century World Bonnie G. Smith 83 4 The Gendering of Human Rights in the International Systems of Law in the Twentieth Century †¢ Jean H. Quataert 116 5 The Impact of the Two World Wars in a Century of Violence †¢ John H. Morrow Jr. 161 6 Locating the United States in Twentieth-Century World History †¢ Carl J. Guarneri 213 7 The Technopolitics of Cold War: Toward a Transregional Perspective †¢ Gabrielle

The Challenges of Fair Trade Free Essays

Historically, coffee cultivation had brought a positive influence in developing countries to alleviate rural poverty. Paige (1997) and Williams (1994) also claimed that coffee cultivation had enabled households to develop their land holdings in sustainable, high return activity, and gainfully employ their family labor (as cited in Barham, Gitter, Lewis Weber, 2011, p. 116). We will write a custom essay sample on The Challenges of Fair Trade or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, the global coffee market has fallen into crisis in recent years. A research conducted by Murray, Raynold and Taylor (2003), with a large decline in the coffee employment, many rural households have been forced to abandon traditional farming and adopt new livelihoods. Meanwhile, small scale but growing number of coffee farmers have participated in Fair Trade to try to survive such crisis. But, according to the research published recently, Fair Trade coffee may not only fail to bring the rural poor better life, it may impoverish them. This claim is supported by unbalanced price premium, limited Fair Trade coffee market and lack of Fair Trade knowledge by households. The higher sale price in Fair Trade coffee comparing to the conventional coffee is claimed to be the most direct benefit to individual rural farmers who participate in Fair Trade. As indicated by Barham et al. (2010), Fair Trade coffee growers receive an average US $344 in net cash income per hectare compared with US $192 for conventional growers (p. 120). Yet such premium price provided by the Fair Trade does not cover the cost to produce certified coffee for rural farmers. Weber (2011) states that if the coffee growers want to sell their products through Fair Trade, first they have to be certified (p. 109). Fair Trade Foundation requires coffee growers to pay high certification fees which the majority of Third World farmers are too poor to afford. In such cases, these growers are likely try to receive Fair Trade certification through cooperatives, but are required to share their net profit with cooperatives. For example, from the article What Price for Good Coffee? by Fieser and Padgett (2009) , Antonio, a coffee producer in Guatemala, receives 1. 55 dollars per pound of organic coffee sold through Fair Trade, approximately 10 percent more than the conventional market price. However, Antonio only receives less than 50 cents per pound after he pays Fair Trade cooperative fees, government taxes, farming expenses, and other costs (Fieser and Padgett, 2009, p. 98). This shows Fair Trade farmers often lose out on the premium price that can be fetched by certified coffee. Fair Trade is filled with contradictions. Even if the cooperatives and organizations are willing to lower the certification fees, the net cash income for growers participating in Fair Trade market is still not enough to cover the cost to produce certified coffee, by the fact that not all the high cost Fair Trade-organic certified coffee are sold at Fair Trade-organic certified coffee price. While Fair Trade coffee being organic is not a requisite for selling in Fair Trade market, most farmers that participate in cooperatives are expected to transit into organic coffee products and pass the organic certification (Weber, 2011, p. 110). However becoming organic certified requires a transition period. Weber (2011) claims it takes 3 years for growers to complete the transition into organic certification where they have to follow organic norms but unable to sell their coffee as organic (p. 111). This implies a significant delay between the time of the cost and when coffee starts yield a return. Such scenario above affects the net cash income received from Fair Trade households. Though some Fair Trade households do not transit themselves into organic certified coffee, the fact that most coffee grown by Fair Trade membership households is sold in the conventional markets is still true due to the lack of Fair Trade markets. Even though coffee is the second highest traded commodity, the market of Fair Trade coffee is relatively small with average 2. 5 % of the global coffee trade (Fieser and Padgett, 2009, p. 99). Barham et al. 2010) state that Fair Trade has limited the supply of coffee that labeled with certificated to keep the Fair Trade-organic coffee price up in the market. Therefore, even though the growers produce their coffee in a high cost Fair Trade-organic certification standards, they may have to sell their certified coffee to the markets that do not give the value of certification once Fair Trade refused their products (p. 122). Going through the effort to produce Fair Trade standards coffee, the farmers are not reaping the rewards they should have obtained. Also, with the lack of a consumer market but continually growing coffee producing households populations, Weber (2010) claims that it leads the cooperatives to increase their membership without expanding the market which results in lower premium for each household member (p. 113). The benefit to Fair Trade sales including price premiums, social premiums, long-term contracts, and low-interest credit are significantly reduced as less coffee is sold in Fair Trade markets (Murrary, 2003, p. 16). As a result, the limited and slow growth in the Fair Trade market has become one of the major concerns confronting Fair Trade production. Unconstrained market is the key to maximum returns; knowledge is the key ingredient to develop a more democratic institution. Yet households of coffee growers are facing the lack of clear knowledge for Fair Trade. Fair Trade is an indistinct concept to coffee growers comparing to coffee growing which appears in their daily farming livelihoods. Murrary et al. (2003) claim that coffee growers have not received regular and detailed training about information on Fair Trade, and have no contact with Fair Trade representatives but the cooperatives and the technical advisers (p. 6). Even more, majority of coffee growers identify Fair Trade with the cooperative. Such misinterpretation, leads some cooperatives to not tout the benefits coffee growers should gain as Fair Trade certification benefits (pp. 16 – 17). Since cooperatives and the technical advisers deal directly with the Fair Trade certification, buyers, and others; coffee growers simply have no control over their products com pare to other coffee investment patterns. For example, the Thrive’s system mentioned by LaPorte (2013) in his article. Mr. Lander, an entrepreneur based in Atlanta, created the company named Thrive Farmers Coffee assisted coffee growers to increase their ownership and profit margins by splitting half of proceeds with farmers and by establishing relationships between farmers and local coffee co-ops. Mr. Lander also states that organizations like Thrive are trying to teach these growers the basic knowledge of risk and quality because now they see their products selling to their ultimate consumers (p. 106). If coffee growers can understand the way to prevent risk and way to improve coffee quality, these growers will most likely sell more coffee overall. In conclusion, Fair Trade is not the answer to solve poverty. The system offers limited price improvement to very few primary households, while neglecting the poorest of poor in the sector. With farmers lack of understanding of the structure and operation, Fair Trade can easily prevent the poor from liberating themselves, keep them in their land and restrain their future. And lastly, by raising Fair Trade coffee price for the consumer, it slows down the growth of global Fair Trade economy and limits the market from certain group. Overall, there are benefits to the small-scale farmers from Fair Trade movement, but the benefits are much insufficient compared with other investment patterns. It is nothing but a short-term diversion. If the Fair Trade is unable to put forward a plan for improving their current rate of returns, coffee growers are unlikely to lift themselves out of their poverty through Fair Trade. And, perhaps the only fair choice is to support free trade. References Abad-Vergara, Diane. (Director, Produce). (2009). Living with coffee [Documentary]. New Zealand. Barham, B. L., Callenes, M., Gitter, S., Lewis, J., ; Weber, J. (2011). Fair trade/organic coffee, rural livelihoods, and the â€Å"Agrarian Question†: Southern Mexican coffee families in transition. World Development, 39(1), 134-145. Fieser, E., ; Padgett, T. (2009). What price good coffee? Time International, 171(13) 90-91. La porte, N. (2013, March 16). Coffee’s economics, rewritten by farmers. New York Times. Retrieved 5/20/13 from  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/business/coffees-economics-rewritten-by-farmers.html Murray, D. L., Raynolds, L. T., ; Taylor, P.L. (2003). One cup at a time: poverty alleviation and fair trade coffee in Latin America. Fair Trade Research Group, Colorado State University. Weber, J. G. (2011). How much more do growers receive for Fair Trade-organic coffee? Food Policy, 36(5), 678-685 How to cite The Challenges of Fair Trade, Papers