Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

 OPERANT CONDITIONING TECHNIQUES 
Some behavioral approaches make use of the operant conditioning principles that we 
discussed earlier in the book when considering the topic of learning. These approaches 
are based on the notion that we should reward people for carrying out desirable 
behavior and extinguish undesirable behavior by either ignoring it or punishing it. 
One example of the systematic application of operant conditioning principles is 
the token system,  which rewards a person for desired behavior with a token such as 
a poker chip or some kind of play money. Although it is most frequently employed 
in institutional settings for individuals with relatively serious problems and some-
times with children as a classroom management technique, the system resembles 
what parents do when they give children money for being well behaved—money 
that the children can later exchange for something they want. The desired behavior 
may range from simple things such as keeping one’s room neat to personal grooming 
and interacting with other people. In institutions, patients can exchange tokens for 
some object or activity, such as snacks, new clothes, or, in extreme cases, sleeping in 
one’s own bed rather than in a sleeping bag on the fl oor. 
exposure
A behavioral treatment for 
anxiety in which people are confronted 
either suddenly or gradually with a 
stimulus that they fear.
Study Alert
To help remember the 
concept of hierarchy of 
fears, think of something 
that you are afraid of and 
construct your own 
hierarchy of fears.
feL82795_ch16_542-575.indd Page 550 8/5/10 3:20 PM user-f465
feL82795_ch16_542-575.indd Page 550 8/5/10 3:20 PM user-f465
/Users/user-f465/Desktop
/Users/user-f465/Desktop

---