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Retail Business Environment

Notes 8.2 Instrumental Conditioning (Operant Conditioning)

Instrumental conditioning also involves developing association between stimulus and response
but requires the subject to discover a correct response that will be reinforced. Any response
elicited is within the conscious control of the subject. For instance, let us assume that in a Pavlov-
like experiment, dogs or rats are provided with two levers instead of just one. Pushing one lever
will produce food (reward) and the other an electrical shock (punishment).
When hungry, the animals would quickly learn to press the lever that produced food and avoid
the lever that produced an electrical shock. Learning occurs because the consequence of a repeated
behaviour is rewarding.

Figure 8.3: Instrumental Conditioning

Likelihood of increase
Behaviour elicited
or decrease in
response probability

Reward or Punishment

The foremost proponent of instrumental conditioning was B. F. Skinner. In his experiments, the
subjects were free to respond in several ways. Skinner worked with small animals in his
experiments, such as rates and pigeons. He developed a box, called after his name as “Skinner
box”, in which he placed experimental animals. Whenever the animals made suitable movements
such as pressed a lever or pecked keys, they received food (reward). Classical conditioning
depends on an already established stimulus-response connection, however the learner in
instrumental conditioning is required to discover a “correct” or appropriate behaviour through
trial-and-error that will be reinforced. Over a number of reinforced trials, the experimental
animal learns a connection between the lever or key (unconditioned stimulus) and pushing it
(response). According to instrumental conditioning learning theory, behaviour is a function of
its consequences.

With regard to consumer behaviour, instrumental conditioning suggests that most learning
takes place by means of a trial-and-error process and consumers experience more satisfying
results (outcomes or rewards) in case of some purchases than others. Favourable consequences
reinforce the behaviour and increase the likelihood of its repetition, that is, the consumer will
purchase the product again; unfavourable outcomes will decrease that likelihood. For example,
almost everyday we see commercials of one or the other detergent depicting the agony of a
mother or housewife washing clothes, dissatisfied or embarrassed and ultimately finding the
rewarding experience with a particular (advertised) brand of detergent. The message for the
target audience is loud and clear that to avoid unfavourable outcomes with other detergents,
they should use the advertised brand.

Reinforcement

Reinforcement is anything that increases the strength of response and tends to induce repetitions
of the behaviour that preceded it. Reinforcement or repeated positive outcome influences the
likelihood that a response will be repeated. Reinforcement can be of two types: positive
reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement consists of events that
strengthen and increase the likelihood of specific behaviour by the presentation of a desirable

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