Final answer:
Farkles were effective as a form of operant conditioning because they provided a reward, which led to an increase in the desired behavior, such as reading among second graders. Rewards, such as money or praise, serve as positive reinforcement, reinforcing behaviors that are satisfying to the individual. This approach is rooted in the law of effect and has been demonstrated to be effective in educational settings and beyond.
Step-by-step explanation:
Farkles were effective because they utilized operant conditioning, a method of learning that employs rewards and punishments to elicit behavior. This concept is rooted in the law of effect, which was proposed by Edward Thorndike and later expanded upon by B.F. Skinner. In operant conditioning, behaviors followed by positive outcomes are more likely to be repeated, while those followed by negative outcomes are less likely. Farkles, similar to the rewards used in Skinner's experiments, acted as positive reinforcement, encouraging the repetition of the desired behavior.
In the provided example, second-grade students in Dallas were paid $2 each time they read a book and passed a quiz about it. This monetary reward served as an effective incentive, leading to a significant improvement in reading comprehension. The success of such a program highlights the principles of operant conditioning in a real-world educational setting, as also seen in Skinner's teaching machine that rewarded small steps in learning with immediate positive reinforcement. Introducing rewards or reinforcers can prompt individuals to engage in the desired behavior and increase their chances of repeating that behavior in the future, due to the positive outcome they expect to receive.
In cognitive learning and the experiments by Wolfgang Köhler with chimpanzees, it was shown that learning could also occur through problem-solving and not just conditioning. This demonstrates the versatility of learning mechanisms in both animals and humans.