ABSTRACT
It has been said, "An educated man knows what he is doing." That simple statement implies that an educated person not only does the "right things" but that he or she knows why those things are being done. Some college teachers, as a matter of conscious choice, have begun to develop a more analytic and systematic approach to teaching. They have begun to specify instructional goals more clearly, they have developed stepwise progressions to achieve these goals, and they have begun to employ with conscious intent various kinds of incentives. The basic principles of behavioral learning theory are relatively easy to grasp. The first principle is that behavior is affected by its consequences. In Skinner's own words: Behavior is said to be strengthened by its consequences, and for that reason, the consequences are called 'reinforcers.' Negative reinforcement involves removing an aversive stimulus, something an individual will work hard to avoid.
