What is operant conditioning?

• A. It refers to the way rewards and punishments change the likelihood or unlikelihood of repeating behavior.
• B. It is the unconditioned response to a stimulus.
• C. It refers to learning by observing the behavior of others.
• D. It involves only innate reflexes without learning.

Answer: (A)

Operant conditioning is a learning process in which behavior is shaped by its consequences. When a behavior is followed by a reward (positive reinforcement) or the removal of something unpleasant (negative reinforcement), the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated increases. Conversely, when a behavior is followed by punishment or the removal of a desired outcome (positive or negative punishment), the likelihood that the behavior will occur again decreases. This focus on how rewards and punishments influence voluntary actions is what sets operant conditioning apart from other learning types, such as classical conditioning, which pairs stimuli to elicit automatic responses, or observational learning, which involves watching others. Innate reflexes reflect learning that hasn’t occurred, so they don’t capture the shaping of behavior through consequences.