Final answer:
Operant conditioning is identified as a major factor in the acquisition of verbal behaviors by behavioral scientists. It is a learning process where behaviors are modified through rewards and punishments after the behavior is performed, as studied by B.F. Skinner. Positive reinforcement, such as rewarding a dolphin with a fish for performing a flip, is a classic example of operant conditioning.
Step-by-step explanation:
Behavioral scientists suggest that operant conditioning plays a major role in the acquisition of verbal behaviors. Operant conditioning is a form of learning where the motivation for a behavior happens after the behavior is demonstrated. This type of learning involves consequences that follow the behavior. The behavior can be modified through rewards and punishments; reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior, while punishment decreases it. This process was extensively studied by B.F. Skinner, who showed that organisms can learn to associate a behavior with its subsequent consequences. Unlike classical conditioning, operant conditioning involves a behavior being strengthened or weakened by the reinforcements or punishments that follow it.
Furthermore, operant conditioning distinguishes from merely a reflexive response, as it involves cognitive learning. Complex languages and instructions can employ this sort of conditioning as part of the learning process. For example, when a dolphin does a flip after hearing a whistle and receives a fish, it is a demonstration of positive reinforcement operant conditioning. Over time, the dolphin associates the behavior of flipping with the rewarding consequence of getting a fish.