Final answer:
Operant conditioning is a behavior modification technique where rewards are used to encourage desired behaviors. Positive reinforcement, including token economies, is utilized to increase the likelihood of these behaviors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The technique used in behavior modifications where students are motivated to exhibit desired behavior through the promise of rewards is known as operant conditioning. Positive reinforcement is a critical component of operant conditioning. This approach involves adding a desirable stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. In educational and therapeutic settings, token economies are employed where tokens are used as a form of secondary reinforcers that can be exchanged for prizes or rewards, effectively modifying behavior.
An example is giving a child a token each time they perform a positive action, like cleaning their room or completing homework, which they can later exchange for a desired reward. Through operant conditioning, behaviors are influenced by the consequences that follow them: behaviors followed by positive consequences are more likely to occur again, which is a principle rooted in the law of effect.