?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=The+operant+conditioning+of+human+motor+behavior&rft.creator=Verplanck%2C+W+S&rft.subject=Behavioral+Analysis&rft.subject=Animal+Behavior&rft.subject=Comparative+Psychology&rft.subject=Evolutionary+Psychology&rft.description=A+very+large+body+of+experimental+results+have+accumulated+in+the+field+of+operant%2C+or+instrumental%2C+conditioning+of+the+rat%2C+the+pigeon%2C+and+of+other+experimental+animals.+The+application+to+human+behavior+of+the+laws+generated+by+such+research+is+most+often+done+by+the+use+of+theory.+An+alternative+method+is+to+demonstrate+that+the+manipulation+of+classes+of+empirically+defined+variables+that+produce+specific+and+highly+characteristic+changes+in+the+behavior+of+small+experimental+animals+in+Skinner+boxes+produce+similar+changes+in+the+behavior+of+college+students.++This+paper+reports+procedures+for+the+direct+application+of+the+variables+defining+the+paradigm+for+operant+conditioning+to+human+behavior+and+shows+that+human+beings+act+very+much+indeed+like+experimental+animals+when+they+are+subjected+to+the+same+experimental+treatments.+It+suggests+that+direct+application+of+conditioning+principles+to+some+categories+of+human+behavior+may+be+justified.+The+procedures+are+simple+and+they+may+be+followed+by+anyone%2C+with+a+minimum+of+equipment.++That+it+is+possible+to+condition+human+motor+behavior+will+surprise+few+who+are+concerned+with+behavior+theory.+Nevertheless%2C+it+has+not+always+been+clear+what+behaviors+will+act+as+%22responses%2C%22+what+events+will+prove+to+be+%22reinforcing+stimuli%2C%22+or+exactly+what+procedures+would+most+readily+yield+reproducible+results.+This+paper+describes+methods+that+have+been+worded+out+for+easy+and+rapid+operant+conditioning+of+motor+behavior+in+humans%2C+states+characteristic+findings%2C+and+reports+sample+results.+Developed+in+a+series+of+exploratory+experiments+in+an+elementary+laboratory+course+in+psychology%2C+the+methods+may+have+a+wider+utility.+&rft.date=1956&rft.type=Journal+(Paginated)&rft.type=PeerReviewed&rft.format=text%2Fhtml&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F604%2F1%2Fbiblio25.html&rft.identifier=++Verplanck%2C+W+S++(1956)+The+operant+conditioning+of+human+motor+behavior.++%5BJournal+(Paginated)%5D+++++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F604%2F