What is operant conditioning, and what is the difference between positive and negative reinforcement?

• A. Operant conditioning is learning by observing others; positive reinforcement adds a desirable stimulus; negative reinforcement adds an aversive stimulus.
• B. Operant conditioning is learning via extinction; positive reinforcement reduces the likelihood of behavior; negative reinforcement increases it.
• C. Operant conditioning is learning via consequences; positive reinforcement adds a desirable stimulus; negative reinforcement removes an aversive stimulus.
• D. Operant conditioning is reflex learning; positive reinforcement removes a desirable stimulus; negative reinforcement replaces an aversive stimulus with a neutral one.

Answer: (C)

Operant conditioning is learning that happens because of the consequences that follow a behavior. The organism learns to repeat behaviors that lead to good outcomes and to avoid those that lead to bad outcomes. Positive reinforcement adds something desirable after the behavior, which strengthens it. For example, giving a dog a treat after it sits makes sitting more likely in the future. Negative reinforcement strengthens a behavior by removing something unpleasant. For instance, stopping a loud alarm when a button is pressed makes pressing the button more likely to occur again. It’s key to remember that reinforcement—whether adding a pleasant thing or removing an unpleasant one—aims to increase the behavior, not punish it. This differs from ideas like learning by watching others (observational learning), or extinction (the behavior weakens when reinforcement stops).