Biology / Unit 14 Bio 3627 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Operant Conditioning
Captions available
The idea
Operant conditioning is learning in which a voluntary behavior's frequency changes because of the consequence, reinforcement or punishment, that follows it.
In practice
A rat presses a lever more often after pressing it once delivered a food pellet.
Where people slip
Reinforcement increases a behavior's frequency and punishment decreases it — both can be achieved by adding or removing a stimulus.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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