Final answer:
Option (A). Operant conditioning, developed by B. F. Skinner, is the theory which encompasses positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, the operant, and the reinforcing stimulus. This behavioral learning theory hin_ges on the consequences that follow behaviors, with reinforcement used to increase behavior and punishment used to decrease it.
Step-by-step explanation:
Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, the operant, and the reinforcing stimulus are integral parts of operant conditioning. This learning theory was developed by B. F. Skinner, a notable behaviorist psychologist credited with the systematic study of how behaviors are strengthened or weakened according to their consequences. Operant conditioning operates on the principle that behaviors followed by rewards (reinforcers) are more likely to recur, and behaviors followed by punishment are less likely to recur.
Skinner's experiments, such as those involving the Skinner box, where a rat presses a lever to receive a food reward, helped demonstrate and refine this concept, showing that the conditioned behavior could be modified by its consequences. The major components of operant conditioning include positive reinforcement (adding something to increase behavior), negative reinforcement (taking something away to increase behavior), and punishment (adding or taking something away to decrease behavior).