Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Language Development01:22

Language Development

969
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
969
Operant Conditioning01:21

Operant Conditioning

3.0K
Operant conditioning, a key concept in behavioral psychology, involves using reinforcement and punishment to alter the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. B.F. introduced this type of conditioning. Skinner focused on voluntary behaviors and the consequences that follow them, influencing whether these behaviors will be strengthened or diminished.
Reinforcement in operant conditioning can be positive or negative, both of which serve to increase the likelihood of a behavior. Positive...
3.0K
Associative Learning01:27

Associative Learning

1.5K
Associative learning is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology, wherein a connection is established between two stimuli or events, leading to a learned response. This process is critical in understanding how behaviors are acquired and modified. Conditioning, the mechanism through which associations are formed, can be divided into two main types: classical conditioning and operant conditioning, each elucidating different aspects of associative learning.
Classical conditioning, also known...
1.5K
Operant Conditioning Intervention01:24

Operant Conditioning Intervention

522
Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
522
Law of Effect01:06

Law of Effect

3.7K
B.F. Skinner, a prominent figure in behavioral psychology, introduced operant conditioning by emphasizing the role of consequences in shaping behavior. This theory builds upon the law of effect proposed by Edward Thorndike, which posits that behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are likely to be repeated. In contrast, those followed by unsatisfying outcomes are less likely to recur.
Edward Thorndike's foundational work involved studying learning in animals, particularly using puzzle...
3.7K
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

833
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
833

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Differential response variability of black-capped chickadees to wingbeat sounds and vocalizations.

Biology open·2026
Same author

Re-examining hidden fitness: Female preferences for long-path songs in zebra finches.

PloS one·2026
Same author

Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) behavioural responses to avian and mammalian predator mounts of varying threat levels.

Learning & behavior·2026
Same author

A cost-effective Raspberry Pi-based operant playback setup to evaluate auditory preferences in songbirds.

Behavioural processes·2025
Same author

Effects of object familiarity on children's silent gestures.

Brain and language·2025
Same author

Individual vocal identity may be obscured following colony assembly in captive black-capped chickadees.

Behavioural processes·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 18, 2026

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE
06:57

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE

Published on: May 14, 2019

10.9K

How Much of Language Acquisition Does Operant Conditioning Explain?

Christopher B Sturdy1, Elena Nicoladis2

  • 1Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

Frontiers in Psychology
|November 23, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Psychologists mistakenly avoid operant conditioning (OC) for child language acquisition. Research shows many invented learning mechanisms are actually OC, suggesting it warrants consideration in language development studies.

Keywords:
imitationlanguage learninglanguage socializationontogenetic ritualizationoperant conditioning

More Related Videos

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

7.1K
Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning
05:33

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning

Published on: January 29, 2020

6.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 18, 2026

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE
06:57

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE

Published on: May 14, 2019

10.9K
Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

7.1K
Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning
05:33

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning

Published on: January 29, 2020

6.5K

Area of Science:

  • Psycholinguistics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Behavioral Psychology

Background:

  • Chomsky's 1950s critique largely dismissed operant conditioning for syntactic acquisition.
  • Psychologists have since avoided operant conditioning (OC) as a primary mechanism for child language learning.
  • This avoidance overlooks the potential role of basic learning principles in language development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To argue against the prevailing avoidance of operant conditioning (OC) in child language acquisition research.
  • To demonstrate that many current language learning mechanisms resemble or are instances of OC.
  • To advocate for ruling out OC before exploring alternative explanations for language development.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing research on language learning in human infants and toddlers.
  • Analysis of learning mechanisms proposed in developmental psycholinguistics literature.
  • Comparison of these mechanisms with principles of operant conditioning.

Main Results:

  • Many learning mechanisms identified in child language acquisition research are functionally equivalent to operant conditioning.
  • Researchers have inadvertently "reinvented" OC principles under different terminology.
  • Simple, cross-species learning mechanisms like OC may possess significant explanatory power for language acquisition.

Conclusions:

  • The historical dismissal of operant conditioning in language acquisition is a significant oversight.
  • Operant conditioning should be considered and ruled out before invoking more complex learning mechanisms.
  • Further investigation into the role of OC in early language development is warranted.