Operant conditioning

Operant conditioning is a method of modifying behavior by rewarding or punishing an individual. The well-known behaviorist B.F Skinner brought about this method. There are four main contexts of operant conditioning. In these four contexts the words positive and negative mean the addition or subtraction of a stimulus. The first is positive reinforcement, which is when a rewarding stimulus is granted after behavior. Negative reinforcement is when an aversive stimulus is removed after the correct behavior takes place. The third is positive punishment is when a behavior is followed by a bothersome stimulus thus resulting into a decrease of that particular behavior. The fourth procedure is negative punishment, which occurs when a bad behavior is followed by a removal of a positive stimulus in order to correct behavior.