"ADHD.org.nz - Operant Conditioning"

"Operant Conditioning"

This is possibly the easiest of the behavioural principles. Quite simply it involves:

Stimulus - Response - Reward

For example, at 9am (the STIMULUS), you are required to be at work (the RESPONSE), and for doing your work you will be payed money (the REWARD).

Reinforcement increases the probability of response that it follows.

For example, in the supermarket when you approach the checkout, have you ever noticed that a child may whinge and scream (the response) when he/she notices the confectionery (the stimulus)? That is because, in order to keep them quiet parents give them some of the confectionery each time. The child has learned that when approaching the checkout, a "loud" response from them will result in a reward!

This is one technique that parents and teachers can use when trying to elicit a particular response (behaviour) from ADHD children.
Here are examples of how it can be applied:

Something Good can start or be presented
Something Good can end or be taken away
Something Bad can start or be presented
Something Bad can end or be taken away

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