What does the term 'operant conditioning' refer to?

Operant conditioning is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology developed by B.F. Skinner. It refers to a learning process in which the consequences of a behavior determine the likelihood of that behavior being repeated in the future. Essentially, behaviors are either strengthened or weakened through reinforcement or punishment.

Reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by a favorable outcome or reward, increasing the probability that the behavior will occur again. For example, if a student receives praise after completing their homework, they are more likely to repeat that behavior. On the other hand, punishment decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated; for instance, if a child is scolded for misbehavior, they are less likely to engage in that behavior again.

This approach contrasts with other learning theories, such as observational learning, which is based on modeling behavior after others, or classical conditioning, where learning occurs through associations between stimuli. Operant conditioning is unique because it focuses on the impact of consequences as the driving force behind learning, highlighting the active role of the subject in the learning process.