Final answer:
B. F. Skinner's operant conditioning is about controlling behavior by using consequences to increase or decrease the likelihood of that behavior. Reinforcements enhance behavior while punishments reduce it, as demonstrated in Skinner's experiments with his operant conditioning chambers, also known as Skinner boxes.
Step-by-step explanation:
B. F. Skinner's concept of operant conditioning is the control of behavior by manipulating its consequences. Operant conditioning is a learning process in which the consequences of a behavior influence the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. Positive consequences or reinforcements increase the likelihood of a behavior, while consequences that are perceived as negative or punishments decrease its likelihood.
Skinner used devices like the Skinner box to study operant conditioning systematically. He showed that behaviors could be shaped by rewarding successive approximations of a target behavior, a method known as shaping. This type of learning does not require multiple exposures in all cases, as some conditioning can happen in a single experiment.
Operant conditioning is applied broadly, from animal training to human behavior modifications in various settings. It is based on the law of effect that behaviors followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to repeat, and those with unpleasant consequences are less likely.