
your child, send a thank-you note to a friend, or give someone a gift, you are
subtly shaping their future behavior, whether you intend to or not. Operant
conditioning is pervasive among human beings.
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Technology Applications of Operant Conditioning
Computers also can use operant conditioning to bring about behavior changes.
In my classes at Stanford, my students and I explored various approaches to
using high-tech conditioning technology. Two engineering students built a
prototype of “Telecycle” (Figure 3.8), an exercise bike connected to a TV through
a small computer.
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In this system, as you pedal at a rate closer to the target
speed, the image