Operant Conditioning and-Howard Gardner’s theory.edited

Operant Conditioning and Howard Gardner’s Theory
Name
Institution

Part A
Operant conditioning can be explained as a learning process that happens on the basis of behavior consequences and might involve learning new behavior (Davey, 2017). The process starts with doing the new behavior and then the consequences of the new behavior are noticed. Operant conditioning is a very influential sector in psychology that has succeeded in providing practical solutions to issues in human behavior. Behavior modification is one application of the techniques of operant conditioning in modifying behavior. The token economy method is one such example of therapeutic use of modification of behavior.
A study was conducted on psychiatric patients in a mental hospital. The patients were experiencing difficulties in performing their expected daily behaviors without follow up. The problem of failing to perform grooming behaviors effectively was occurring frequently because the patients forgot to do some of them unless they are followed up personally. Following up on each patient by their caretakers was also difficult since the caretakers are few and the patients are many. So, they won’t be able to reach every patient and make sure they are properly groomed.
The reason why a change in this behavior was necessary is because caregivers at the hospital had a lot to do and they would not have time to drees up each patient and spread their beds since they had a lot of work in the morning and the patients were too many to follow up on each one of them daily.

Therefore, if every patient develops good grooming behaviors, then the work of caregivers would reduce. The benefit of this behavior change is that it will build a constant behavior among the patients that when they wake up every morning there are some grooming behaviors they will always perform before leaving their rooms. Hence, they will be organized in their work.
The first step performed was choosing the specific grooming behaviors to be investigated, which are bed making, proper dressing, face washing, teeth brushing, and hair combing. Thereafter, researchers recorded a baseline, which was the frequencies at which each activity would be performed normally. Lastly, whenever a patient would make their bed well or groom themselves well a token was given. The tokens would then be exchanged for personal items or food at the hospital’s drugstore. The later records showed that whenever the patients would be given a token for good grooming, they would increase the frequency of proper behavior. At the end of the day, all patients were able to groom themselves and make their beds properly without follow up.
Part B
The theory of multiple intelligences by Howard Gardner offers a model through which educators are able to act on their belief that every child has a strength (Gardner, 2015). Rather than using a linguistic filter that requires students to write so as to show they have grasped the information or skill, educators might use the MI model, introduced by Gardner’s theory, which allows the use of a student’s strength to demonstrate what they have learnt. Below is a description of how educators can test each of the eight intelligences among their students.
Linguistic intelligence
Linguistic intelligence is the ability of being sensitive to the meaning of words and their order. Test items for this intelligence include use of palindromes and outrageous words, writing essays and stories, playing word games, involving students in oral presentations and debates.
Logical-mathematical intelligence
This refers to the ability to recognize order and patterns and handling chains of reasoning. Students who exhibit this intelligence are able to analyze different situations, figure things out and show precision in solving different problems.
Musical intelligence
Musical intelligence is the sensitivity to melody, pitch, tone and rhythm. Students with this intelligence are able to create, replicate tunes, hum, sing, listen to music and then play it and match music and rhythm to feelings.
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
The definition of this type of intelligence is the ability of handling objects in an adroit manner and use the body skillfully. Students who have this intelligence are likely to be physically involved in sport activities and engage in risk activities with their bodies such as dancing, mimicking, crafting and playing with mechanical objects.
Spatial intelligence
Refers to the ability to accurately perceive the world and be able to transform and recreate aspects of that world. Students with this intelligence are able to look at maps and diagrams and draw them creatively, create three-dimensional representations and separate things and still bring them together.
Naturalist intelligence
The ability of a student to recognize and then classify the various species of the environment is naturalist intelligence. Testing this intelligence type might involve outdoor classroom activities where students are able to see different species of flora and fauna and classify them. Students with this intelligence will easily notice the relationships that exist in nature.
Interpersonal intelligence
A student with this intelligence has the ability to understand people and relationships between them. A student with this intelligence will be able to be an effective member of a team through building consensus, helping others with their problems and enjoy the company of man friends
Intrapersonal intelligence
Intrapersonal intelligence is defined as the ability to access the emotional life of a person and using it to understand them and others. A student who is able to pursue their interests at a personal level, set their own agendas, learn through listening and observing, and use metacognitive skills has intrapersonal intelligence.

References
Davey, G. (Ed.). (2017). Applications of conditioning theory. Routledge.
Gardner, H. (2015). Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences.