POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IN TUTOR-TUTEE RELATIONSHIP

B.F.
Skinners
Positive
Relationship Building

Reinforcement

in

by
Tutor

-Tutee

Richael Francis C. Mangibin

Ateneo de Manila University
Abstract
This paper aims to give an explanation to the process in building
a relationship between a tutor and a tutee. This paper also aims
to prove that the process is an application of B.F. Skinners
Operant Conditioning Theory with a specification to the concept
of Reinforcement. The successin the building of such relationship
will give way to a tutees development that goes beyond the
academic.
Keywords:
Tutoring, Tutor, Tutee,
Operant Conditioning, Relationship

Reinforcement,

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IN TUTOR-TUTEE RELATIONSHIP 3

The Application of Skinners Positive Reinforcement
In the Building of a Tutor-Tutee RelationshipTutoring is a newly
developed method of teaching. Deviating away from the common
classroom setting in institutions, tutoring is devised to provide
a more personal way in teaching various subjects to students, or
tutees. Given this fact, one of the most vital steps in
thedevelopment of the tutor-tutee relationship concerns exactly
that, creating a relationship (Chin,Fahimian, and Rabow, 1999).
Building a relationship with the students beyond the academic, a
tutor must have the ability to connect with them in aspects that
they can relate with. According to Chin, Fahimian, and Rabow
(1999), Creating a personal relationship with your tutee is
vital. Without it, a tutor can, at best, scratch the surface of a
students need (p. 30). which means to say that a tutor need
not only touch a students educational needs but go somewhere
more profound and personal; if not, a tutor is no more different

from a common classroom teacher. As a students

personal
educator , the tutor plays a role perhaps more than that of an
ordinary classroom teacher; it is the job and objective of the
tutor to find ways that will unleash the tutees full potentiat
not only as a student, but also as an individual because, the
best tutor will find ways to use childrens natural curiosity
and interest to motivate them to want to master challenges and
learn (Chin, Fahimian, and Rabow, 1999). As discussed by Rabow,
Chin, and Fahimian (1999) in their introduction, Tutoring draws
on our natural abilities to teach and explain, but it is also a
unique situation that calls for new attitudes and adjustments.
Tutoring requires the tutor to realize that learning enriches the
whole student mind, motivation,curiosity (p. xxi); in this
light, a tutor need not only enrich the tutee academically,
but also what goes beyond that. In this light, a tutor can move
toward nurturing the true and total intelligence of their tutee
(p. xxiii). However, tutoring, as easy as it may seem, is not an
easy task to do so.

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IN TUTOR-TUTEE RELATIONSHIP 4Tutoring

is
based on an individual relationship (p. xxiii), which is why a
tutor must always be flexible in dealing with different tutees.
Tutors are on hand to provide not only answers tostudents but
[also] moral and emotional support and to ferret out exactly what
areas the studentsneed help in (p. 30). In this light, a tutor
must be able to build relationship with the tutee in orderto find
a way to close the gap between [the tutor] and the child, even if
it has nothing to so withacademics (p. 31)

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IN TUTOR-TUTEE RELATIONSHIP 5 tend to

strengthen behavior or increase the probability of a recurrence
of that response constitute a powerful force in the control of
human behavior (p. 89). In light of a stimulus that rewards or
provides pleasure to a student, it would lead to the increase of
the recurrence of their behavior that led. This, according to the
Operant Conditioning Theory, is what should be focused on to
attend carefully to the reinforcers (Brown, p. 89).

Reinforcement
.
In its general
encouraging or

definition

establishing a belief or
encouragement or reward

reinforcement
pattern

of

is

behavior,

the

process

of

especially

by

(Reinforcement, 2010). Skinners

concept of Reinforcement from his Operant Conditioning
Theory is not far along from this definition. Reinforcement is
the process which results when
reinforcers are delivered (Blackman, 1974, p. 30). This indicates
that reinforcement refers to the influencing of a behavior in

order for it to change. Further more, Derek Blackman (1974)

further
states that, in deciding which pattern of behavior is to be
associated with a reinforce, the
experiementer is essentially establishing a teaching situation
(p. 31). In dealing with such facts, Reinforcement can be
considered as an influential manipulation that results in the
change of ones
pattern of behavior. A reinforcer is said to
increase and maintain the frequency of behavior with which it is
associated (p. 32) that indicates the fact that a reinforcer is
an influence that creates, increases, then maintains a pattern of
behavior whenever it manifests.
Positive and Negative Reinforcement.
In Stephen Ray Floras (2004) explanation of
reinforcement, he states in his introduction
that, quite simply,
a reinforcer is a consequence that increases the frequency of
the behavior that preceded the consequence. Reinforcement is the
process of increasing the rate of behaviors with reinforcing
consequences (p. x); with this,
he gives emphasis to the two types of reinforcement

positive and negative

and states that, both

positive reinforcement and negative
reinforcement increase behavior (p.x). According to Flora

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IN TUTOR-TUTEE RELATIONSHIP 6 (2004),

Positive reinforcement occurs when an events or stimulus is
presented (positive) as a consequence of behavior and the

behavior increases (reinforcement); while negative reinforcement

occurs when the rate of behavior increases (reinforcement)
because an aversive event or stimulus is removed (negative). In
short, positive reinforcement comes from rewards and praises or
any good event that results in the increase of that behavior;
negative reinforcement, on the other hand, refers to the increase
of a behavior if a certain event is removed from the environment.
For example, if a person reads a novel and doing so can make a
person relaxed, than the frequency of reading a novel is
positively reinforced and will, hence, increase; on the other
hand, if a person reads a novel just to escape an unfortunate
event

perhaps the death of a special someone

then the
reinforced.

frequency

will

increase

as

it

was

negatively

Reinforcement in Education.
In the same book by Flora, he creates a chapter on the
relationship, and application, of Reinforcment in Education.
According to Flora (2004), although reinforcement and education
are not synonymous, successful formal education is virtually
impossible without copious systematic reinforcement (p. 127). It
only means to say that reinforcement, consciously applied or
otherwise, is abundantly present in any form of educational
setting

the influence of the presence of the teacher alone is a good

example for this.
Flora states that, the earlier a child experiences behavior
-consequence events the larger a head start the infant wil
l have in education and in life (p. 127). This statement is very
congruent with

the study at hand as it goes beyond the education sphere and

captures the bigger picture into context. In the same chapter,
Flora
(2004)
further
gives
more
emphasis
to
Positive
Reinforcement in the cont
ext of Education by saying that, behavior and reinforcement
exist in a dynamic exist in a dynamic ever flowing stream of
interaction, ideally in a seamless manner [] and the
success can be increased with the optimal use of posi
tive reinforcement in school (p. 135
-156).

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IN TUTOR-TUTEE RELATIONSHIP 7 Also

according to Flora (2004), beginning in infancy, the use of
positive reinforcement can
prepare children for formal schooling (p. 135), this only means
to say that the earlier positive
reinforcement is applied
development will be

onto

children,

the

better

their

both in education
and in their individualistic capabilities. Positive reinforcers
typically facilitate the flow of
behavioral stream (Flora,
2004, p. 136) knowing so, it serves as a key element in a
students academic performance; while, simultaneously, a childs
personality is also being shaped
one

being his self-

esteem which is
meaningful self

very

essential.

According

to

Flora

(2004),

- esteem is a product of reinforced behavioral performances, not

unconditional approval. A child who is gently corrected, has the
spelling effort reinforced but is prompted for correct spelling,
is, in the long run, more likely to succeed and have high self-

esteem (p. 142). This only means to say, that in Floras

example of using a spelling correction

when it is positively reinforced or gently just telling a child

the correct spelling of a word, he is more likely to be more
successful in getting it correct than if he is reprimanded after
making the mistake. The aforementioned related literature poses
essential significance to the study, as their concepts are the
foundation in which this study was based upon. With these
information at hand, the researcher was able to conduct the study
using the concepts as basis for the synthesis of the result and
conclusion made.

The role of positive reinforcement, as established by Skinner, in

the building of the relationship between a tutor and a tutee lies
in the adjustment and the adaptation of the tutors approach to
the tutee; also, positive reinforcement manifests on the
establishment of certain rules the tutor during the tutorial
sessions. These led to the change in the pattern of the
tutees behavior.
Commonly, established rules and adapted behavior refer to short
cut methods or
mnemonics that the tutor teacher the tutee to make learning more
efficient and convenient the establishment of the relationship
follows through the way the tutee opens up to the tutor
andeventually acquires skills and characteristics that have been
hindered, if not totally absent, before the tutorial program
began. The presence of a positive reinforcer the awarding of a
break after a good performance led to the increase in the
motivated performance of the student; another reinforcer would be
the singing of the alphabet song that led to the increased usage
whenever confounded with the random asking of a certain letter in
the alphabet. Both reinforcers led to the building of the
relationship between the tutor and the tutee the eradication of
the reluctance and the presence of the outgoing and cheerful
personality that led to the eventual performance development of
the tutee. Such situation goes to show that Reinforcement, as
defined by Skinner in this Operant Conditioning
Theory is an
essential factor in the building of the relationship between a

tutor and a tutee as this relationship is the initial step to

fully maximize the tutees full potential. In this study, as was
reflected by the progress reports and the explanation of the
processes done throughout the tutorial sessions, the application
of reinforcers played a major role in the development of the
tutee; in this way, it can be concluded that Skinners
Reinforcement is an effective key in the building of the tutortutee relationship and in doing so, the development of the tutee
follows. The study is a good case where the focus deviates from
the common classroom setting of teaching. Abundance of the
tutorial and one-on-one teaching methods are slowly increasing
and yet not much study to this approach of teaching are conducted
nor developed. This study can

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IN TUTOR-TUTEE RELATIONSHIP 14serve as a

good contribution to the few studies made in the past so as to it
being a stepping-stone into dealing with this method of study.
Therefore, the researcher recommends further study in terms of
various theories where such situations can be applied to or even
a comparative study between theories; another would be an agevaried study where a theory be applied to tutee ofdifferent
stages where their effects can be compared and contrasted. Also,
further researches can make third party observations of other
one-on-one tutorial and with a longer tutorial program, as well a
quantitative response from the tutee - such as scores from
worksheets, exams, and etc. to make the empirical evidence more
plausible and accountable. All of these recommendations fall onto
the eventual development of good tutoring techniques to make the
learning process of a tutee more dynamic and effective.

http://www.academia.edu/6168723/The_Application_of_B.F._Skinners_
Model_for_Positive_Reinforcement_in_Building_TutorTutee_Relationships