Operant conditioning is best described as?

Operant conditioning is best described as?

• A. Learning by observing others perform actions.
• B. Learning how actions or behavior cause a consequence.
• C. A process of removing a stimulus to decrease a behavior.
• D. A form of learning that does not involve consequences.

Answer: (B)

Operant conditioning is learning that happens because behaviors are followed by outcomes. The central idea is that the consequences of an action determine how likely that action will be repeated in the future. When a behavior is followed by a reinforcing outcome, the behavior tends to increase; when it’s followed by a punishing or aversive outcome, the behavior tends to decrease. This captures why actions cause consequences and how those consequences shape future behavior. For example, giving a rat a food reward after pressing a lever strengthens that behavior, while removing a privilege after misbehavior can reduce it. This approach focuses on consequences driving change, unlike learning by watching others or situations where no consequences follow the behavior.

Operant conditioning is learning that happens because behaviors are followed by outcomes. The central idea is that the consequences of an action determine how likely that action will be repeated in the future. When a behavior is followed by a reinforcing outcome, the behavior tends to increase; when it’s followed by a punishing or aversive outcome, the behavior tends to decrease. This captures why actions cause consequences and how those consequences shape future behavior. For example, giving a rat a food reward after pressing a lever strengthens that behavior, while removing a privilege after misbehavior can reduce it. This approach focuses on consequences driving change, unlike learning by watching others or situations where no consequences follow the behavior.