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Journal of Marketing Vol. 46, No. 3 (Summer, 1982) , pp. 102-107 (6 pages) Published By: Sage Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.2307/1251708 https://www.jstor.org/stable/1251708 This is a preview. Log in to get access Abstract Operant conditioning as presented by Skinner and in a behavior modification perspective is clarified and extended by comparison with behavioral learning theory, which is found to be a misinterpretation of operant conditioning and which offers recommendations for marketing practice that are unsupported by operant principles or the BMP. Consideration of these issues leads to several extensions of operant conditioning and the BMP in marketing. Journal Information The Journal of Marketing (JM) develops and disseminates knowledge about real-world marketing questions relevant to scholars, educators, managers, consumers, policy makers and other societal stakeholders. It is the premier outlet for substantive research in marketing. Since its founding in 1936, JM has played a significant role in shaping the content and boundaries of the marketing discipline? Publisher Information Sara Miller McCune founded SAGE Publishing in 1965 to support the dissemination of usable knowledge and educate a global community. SAGE is a leading international provider of innovative, high-quality content publishing more than 900 journals and over 800 new books each year, spanning a wide range of subject areas. A growing selection of library products includes archives, data, case studies and video. SAGE remains majority owned by our founder and after her lifetime will become owned by a charitable trust that secures the company’s continued independence. Principal offices are located in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC and Melbourne. www.sagepublishing.com Rights & Usage This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. My friend, tell me something: do you believe in free will? Do you consider that all of your behaviors are under your full control? Here is a quote I really enjoy: “We believe in free will, because we know our behavior. But not its causes.” This quote is credited to Jonathan Edwards, an American revivalist preacher, philosopher (1703 –1758). As consumers, we make decisions almost on a daily basis, most of which we consider to be solely ours. But I am sorry to say, it is not always so. Our minds are permanently observing the environment we are in, judging the elements that surrounds us and being heavily impacted by them. In this first article on the topic (Part 1), I would like to briefly explain to you the concept of operant conditioning, its characteristics and classifications. On Part 2, I will provide a series of examples of how marketing exploits these principles to influence human behavior in contexts of consumption. But first, let us begin with a very important researcher: B. F. Skinner. B.F. SkinnerBurrhus Frederic Skinner (famously known as B. F. Skinner) was an American psychologist, Professor of Psychology in Harvard. He was born in 1904 in Susquehanna (Pennsylvania, U.S.A.) and passed away on August 18, 1990 (aged 86). Throughout his lifetime, Skinner developed an extraordinary body of work that helped immensely to explain human behavior. Among them, was an extremely important concept he helped refine, named: operant conditioning. You see, Skinner defended that “free will” did not really exist. For him, almost all behaviors could be controlled, as long as one manipulated the external stimuli in the environment. Skinner’s BoxThe way Skinner used to explain how the manipulation of the environment is capable of influencing behavior, was by repeatedly testing it through a famous experiment which became know as”Skinner’s box”, or “operant conditioning chamber”. Essentially, he developed an enclosed box where animals needed to perform tasks i order to receive rewards. For example, one version contained a bar (or lever) that an animal should press or manipulate in order to obtain food or water (which they enjoyed), for performing the task of pressing the lever or bar, for example. In some cases, lights went off to inform the animal that food was available, and shocks were given (punishment) if the task was not conducted when intended (not pressing the lever when the food was available). The experiment was replicated multiple times with a wide range of animals, including pigeons and rats. The key finding was almost always similar: After multiple exposure and attempts, animals quickly understand that a desired reward will only be obtained if, and only if, the defined task is performed. And if the task is not performed, a punishment will follow. This way, behavior is eventually controlled and becomes predictable. Here is a demonstration of Skinner’s famous experiment, and watch him comment it: Reinforcements (rewards) and PunishmentsBased on the Skinner’s box experiment, you can notice that operant conditioning works through a system of punishments and reinforcements (also called rewards). Each one serves a different purpose:
And how is this done exactly? Well, both rewards and punishments can be conducted by adding or removing stimuli. They were called “Positive: when a stimuli s added” or “Negative: when a stimuli is removed”. This way, operant conditioning contains four main classifications:
Got it? To help you even more, here is an illustration of the different classifications of operant conditioning: Schedule of rewardsNevertheless, in order for operant conditioning to happen, there is a very important detail: the scheduling of rewards. Why? As discussed previously here on the site, the expectation and uncertainty of a reward enhances the dopamine system. The consequence is that it boosts the pleasure of a reward. So the greater the uncertainty, the more pleasurable is the expectation and satisfaction with receiving a reward. So one very important factor in Skinner’s experiments was how he manipulated the scheduling of rewards (how often reinforcements were given by performing a task). Here are some examples:
And of no surprise: The higher the random the scheduling of a reward, the more effective it becomes. These principles of scheduling of rewards are the base of a series of experiences, which have been developed for consumers. For example, casinos, video-games, slot machines and more. There are all grounded on the effectiveness of scheduling of rewards. Main Assumptions and Characteristics of Operant ConditioningMy friend, so in order to conclude this first (and rather brief) article on operant conditioning, I would like to summarize four assumptions of the concept for you:
Fairly simple, but very powerful. And… effective! Part 2: Marketing ApplicationsIn this article I tried to explain to you the concept of operant conditioning, introduce you to B. F. Skinner, explain his famous experiment and the system of punishments and rewards. But how is it exactly applied to humans? How does marketing take advantage of this concept in order to influence and predict human behavior? I will discuss this with you on Part 2 of this topic. It will all be about marketing applications and examples. Hope to see you there, my friend! Why are principles of operant conditioning useful in the development of promotional strategies Group of answer choices?Why are principles of operant conditioning useful in the development of promotional strategies? Selected Answer: Answers: They explain the cognitive processes that mediate a consumer's response to advertising.
Why is operant conditioning important in marketing?The fundamental idea behind operant conditioning is that the marketer applies great effort to encourage potential consumers to actually try their product. They do so by giving away large quantities of the product, completely free of charge.
Is operant conditioning used in marketing?Operant Conditioning has been one of the favorites for marketers as it is one of the core principals for improving customer loyalty.
How can the principles of instrumental conditioning theory be applied to the development of marketing strategies?Marketers effectively utilize the concepts of consumer instrumental learning when they provide positive reinforcement by assuring customer satisfaction with the product, the service, and the total buying experience. The objective of all marketing efforts should be to maximize customer satisfaction.
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