Supertitoius Behavior

Superstitious Behavior

To begin operant conditioning is type of learning in which the probability of a behavior recurring is increased or decreased by the consequences that follows. This includes positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment. From this humans develop superstitious behavior, which is the belief that doing or not doing something will bring about a good or bad result. Take for instance many people believe that breaking a mirror will bring you seven years bad luck. This belief is negatively reinforced and the punishment for breaking the mirror is bad luck. No one wants bad luck; therefore, people refrain from breaking a mirror at all costs. Superstitious behaviors differ by culture as well.

My fiancй is Vietnamese and she introduced me to several superstitions that I found to be ridiculous, but she lives by them. In her culture they believe that if you are in relationship should not buy each other sharp objects because you are cutting up the relationship. I personally do not see how you can physically cut up a relationship by buying someone a set of knives, toe nail clippers, or scissors. My favorite one is, buying a watch limits the time that you will be together and when the watch stops your relationship will end. To this day my fiancй will not buy me a watch or allow me to buy here a knife set. Here is another good one; they believe that if you buy each other a pair of shoes you will run away from the relationship. So every time I buy her a pair of shoes she buys them back from me for a dollar. To me her superstitions sound ridiculous but I have to remember may superstitions have the same affect.

I am very superstitious about splitting poles or letting objects come in between her and I when we are walking. I heard of this superstition when I was younger. I did not believe it until one day an old girlfriend and I were walking and we split the pole. Coincidently, the next day we broke up, since then I avoid allowing things to pass in between my partner and me. I know that it is not true, but I avoid those objects with out thinking about it. Subconsciously, I associate the breakup between my ex and me with splitting the pole. Therefore, my superstition is negatively reinforced and my punishment is for committing the act will be the end of my relationship.

Ultimately, superstitions