Final answer:
Operant conditioning is learning where behavior is motivated by its consequences and includes reinforcement which increases behavior frequency, and punishment which decreases it. Concepts such as extinction, stimulus generalization, and stimulus discrimination are integral to understanding how behaviors are learned and distinguished. Classical conditioning is related but involves associating a natural stimulus with a neutral one to elicit a conditioned response.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process described in the question relates to operant conditioning, a form of learning where the motivation for a behavior occurs after we voluntarily engage in a behavior and is more active and is based on the consequences of that behavior. Operant conditioning, pioneered by B. F. Skinner, is based on the idea that the consequences of a behavior will influence the likelihood of that behavior's recurrence.
Reinforcement, whether positive or negative, increases the likelihood of a behavior. Punishment, on the other hand, decreases the likelihood of a behavior. The concepts of extinction, generalization, and discrimination also play significant roles in operant conditioning. Extinction occurs when the conditioned response decreases as the reinforcement is no longer provided. Stimulus generalization is when a conditioned response is triggered by stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus, while stimulus discrimination involves an organism's ability to distinguish between similar stimuli and respond only to the conditioned stimulus.
Classical conditioning, also discussed in the question, is another form of associative learning whereby organisms learn to connect a naturally occurring stimulus with a previously neutral one, eliciting a conditioned response.