Iprovide ralph with the positive reinforcement of a candy bar when he does something i like. i punish him by squirting him with a squirt gun when he does something i don’t like. i am applying the principles of in an attempt to modify ralph’s behavior.

Operant Conditioning

Explanation:

Based on the information provided within the question you seem to be applying the principles of Operant Conditioning. This is a learning method designed by American psychologist and Behaviorist Burrhus Frederic Skinner in 1938, in which different behaviors are met with either a reward or a punishment in order to encourage or deter certain behaviors. Which is what you seem to be doing with Ralph by reinforcing a behavior with a candy bar or deterring it with a squirt gun.

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