How Do We Learn New Behaviors By Operant Conditioning? In A Romantic Relationship.

Operant Conditioning

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Operant Conditioning

It is notable to mention that operant conditioning is one of the most effective strategies to modify or alter one's behavior. Operant conditioning is comprised of two elements; positive elements and negative elements. One the basis of behavior, if things are given, then it is known as positive elements; however, things that are taken away on the basis of behavior are considered as negative elements. Positive and negative reinforcement of operant conditioning compels an individual to make significant progress in a romantic relationship. One practical application of operant conditioning is to compel a spouse to follow in the footsteps of his partner. In a relationship, it is important to understand the psychology of another person first, before making any move. One can give reward to his/her partner or one can even give punishment to his/her individual depending upon his/her response to a specific condition (Amante, 2019). Punishment does not mean a physical punishment rather it means to take away something that has been liked by another partner.

Operant conditioning can only be applied after a behavior has taken place. It is impossible for an individual to train responses before their occurrence. Therefore, one must need to wait for a behavior to take place. It is noteworthy to mention that the brain does not make emotional connections in order to encourage the alteration of behavior. Scolding or snubbing a partner before a behavior takes place is an ineffective strategy to modify one’s behavior. Consequently, a behavior can only be modified as per positive or negative reinforcement after its manifestation. In a relationship, one can use reinforcement, punishment, or extinction to modify the frequency of the partner's behavior. With the help of positive reinforcement, the frequency of a behavior can be increased (Amante, 2019). However, through punishment, the frequency of a behavior can be decreased. If a person wants to seek a romantic relationship with his/her partner, then there is a need to modify the behavior of his/her partner with the help of operant conditioning. For that particular purpose, it is recommended to encourage an individual to keep up with a stimulus or behavior by giving an appetitive. If a person likes a specific action or behavior of an individual, then he/she need to encourage the behavior of his/her partner through positive reinforcement. In this case, positive reinforcement can be showing affection to another person after a certain behavior (Kim, 2016). By doing so, the other partner will be encouraged to repeat that behavior in the future. On the other hand, if a person wants to reduce the frequency of certain behavior in his/her partner, then he/she can use the applications of negative reinforcement (Amante, 2019). It can be possible to remove likeness after a certain behavior to discourage a partner to repeat that behavior in the future.

Rewards have an important place in operant conditioning due to their significance to encourage a behavior. For instance, if a partner enjoys spending time with you, then you can encourage or discourage that behavior with operant conditioning. Spending time with a partner and talking to him/her will normally be a form of positive reinforcement. However, discouraging that behavior by taking it away is a form of negative punishment. It is important to understand the likes and dislikes of a partner first (Jaron, 2014). There are various kinds of rewards that are scattered in the relationship of an individual. For instance, spending time with a partner, going on trips together, talking with one another, being physically affectionate, going on outgoings together, or having intimate relations with one another should be considered about one's partner. If a person likes certain behavior of his/her partner, then he/she can give him/her these things as a reward for good behavior. It is one of the most effective techniques to encourage an individual to repeat these behaviors in order to get more affection and love from his/her partner (Jaron, 2014). However, if a person does not like a certain behavior of an individual, then he/she can simply reduce the frequency of these things as penalties for bad behavior.

It is noteworthy to consider the importance of reinforcement in a relationship to manipulate the behavior of a partner. In an acquaintance relationship, possible reinforcements that work for social interaction includes laughing or smiling to a partner. It will allow another partner to understand one's interest in him/her. Furthermore, sometimes an individual might find a certain behavior or action of an individual not conducive to his/her desired approximations. In that particular scenario, one can use the last effective technique of operant conditioning known as the extinction mechanism (Amante, 2019). In the extinction mechanism, a person will simply ignore the behavior of his partner in order to let it slowly fade away. It is an essential technique in operant conditioning that allows an individual to shape the behavior of his/her partner.

In a nutshell, operant conditioning is a beneficial technique that can be used to learn a new behavior or to modify the behavior of a partner. It provides valuable stimuli towards a certain behavior in order to encourage or discourage that behavior. Learning about the likes and dislikes of an individual, one can easily modify his/her own behavior to gratify others.

References

Amante, Chase. 2019. Operant Conditioning in Your Romantic Relationships | Girls Chase. Girlschase.com. Retrieved from https://www.girlschase.com/content/operant-conditioning-your-romantic-relationships

Jaron, Saturnino. 2014. Strategies of Straight Up Manipulation for Romantic Relationships. Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@JaronSaturnino/strategies-of-straight-up-manipulation-for-romantic-relationships-74daeade4727

Kim, Jason. 2016. How to Get your Desired Behaviour using Operant Conditioning. PositivePsychology.com. Retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/operant-conditioning-reinforcement/