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Operant Conditioning
A theory of learning developed by B. F. Skinner, proposing that voluntary behavior is shaped by whether the consequences of a behavior are rewarding or punishing. A behavior is positively reinforced when the response to it is followed by a rewarding or favorable consequence. For example, if a person tells a joke and consequently makes friends laugh, the laughter is a rewarding consequence and will result in the person telling jokes in the future. A behavior is weakened, or negatively reinforced, when the response to a stimulus is followed by a punishing or unfavorable consequence. For example, if a person tells a joke and no one laughs, the lack of laughter is an unfavorable consequence and will lead to the person telling fewer jokes or ...