Operant conditioning is a form of associative learning in which the frequency of a behavior is modified by its consequences, specifically through reinforcement or punishment.
In operant conditioning, behaviors followed by rewarding outcomes (positive reinforcement) or the removal of aversive stimuli (negative reinforcement) are more likely to be repeated.
Conversely, behaviors followed by punishment or the absence of expected rewards are less likely to recur.
Operant conditioning relies on the individual’s active behavior and the contingent relationship between that behavior and its consequences.
It involves the modification of voluntary behaviors through these consequences, in contrast to classical conditioning, which involves passive, automatic responses to paired stimuli.
Also known as instrumental conditioning, operant conditioning is a process where voluntary behaviors are shaped by either rewards or punishments.
A behavior followed by a desirable outcome, through reinforcement, becomes more likely to occur again, whereas behaviors followed by undesirable outcomes, due to punishment, become less likely.
Reinforcement: Increases the likelihood of a behavior.
Positive Reinforcement: Adding a pleasant stimulus after a behavior.
Negative Reinforcement:Removing an unpleasant stimulus after a behavior.
Extinction in operant conditioning refers to the gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a behavior when it is no longer reinforced.
Operant conditioning is widely applied in areas such as education, animal training, and behavior therapy.
The core mechanism involves learning to associate a specific action with a particular outcome, leading to an increase or decrease in the probability of that action in the future.
It underlies aspects of voluntary behavior and habit formation, and is fundamental to behavioral therapies and models of addiction, where reinforcement schedules and the consequences of actions play a central role in shaping behavior.