Sheldon's Chocolate Rewards: An Insight into Operant Conditioning

"Bar of Chocolates" by PXFUEL is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.

Do you wish someone would give you a piece of chocolate every time you do something you are 'supposed to' or rather what they want you to do? If you answered yes, Operant Conditioning may be the thing for you! If you answered no, stick around for my critique at the end.

In the television show The Big Bang Theory, there is an episode where Sheldon rewards Penny with chocolate when she does something he wants her to do, for example: not talking during a show and moving her phone call into the other room.

The Big Bang Theory - Sheldon trains Penny

As Sheldon says in the clip above, this is a great example of Operant Conditioning (OC). OC is a 'method of learning that employs rewards and punishments for behavior.' (Cherry, 2023) OC is essentially a style of Behaviorism - an observable change in behavior.

While I would love it if my boss gave me chocolate every time I did something correctly at work, he does this in other ways. For example, at my institution, I am a Residence Hall Manager and I facilitate educational and social events for my residents. If I reach a goal each semester of a certain percentage of unique attendance, I can earn a raise in my event budget. This is a Positive Reinforcer, but can also be seen as a Negative Reinforcement, taking away the burden of a smaller budget for events.

OC can be effective and has the strength of being seen. In my opinion, that is a positive of all styles of Behaviorism - a change you can see. On the other hand, OC may not be the most effective if the positive or negative reinforcements are not the right fit for the subject. Were you someone who answered 'no' earlier? You are the exact example. Regardless of what reason you didn't want the chocolate, that speaks for itself. You need to have the right motivation for this style.

In what ways are you affected by Behaviorism each day? Will being aware of it change how you react to it? Let's keep the conversation going! I encourage reflection and comments by email or follow me on Twitter @kdeloachMSU.

References

Cherry, K. (2023, February 24). What is operant conditioning and how does it work?. verywell mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/operant-conditioning-a2-2794863.

Zarhejo. (2009, October 6). The Big Bang Theory - Sheldon trains Penny [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy_mIEnnlF4