An operant conditioning is a type of learning that can strengthen the behavior it follows. This could be anything from rewarding someone for completing an action, to punishing them for doing something wrong. The most popular example of this is positive reinforcement. This type of conditioning is often used in animal training, but its application can be much broader.
For example, if a teacher praises their student for finishing an assignment on time and they finish the next one early as well, then this positive reinforcement has helped them develop good habits.
On the other hand, if that same student receives punishment after being late to class twice in a row due to traffic delays or any other factor not controllable by themselves; then that negative reinforcement will help shape future behavior so they don’t do it again. The key with operant conditioning is making sure you reinforce behaviors viewed as helpful rather than harmful which will lead to more desirable results overall. The idea of operant conditioning also extends into our interactions with
