Final answer:
Operant conditioning is a type of operant learning, where behaviors are influenced by their consequences, using reinforcements and punishments to increase or decrease the likelihood of a behavior's recurrence.
Step-by-step explanation:
Operant conditioning is a type of operant learning based on the work of B.F. Skinner. It is a form of learning where behaviors are controlled by consequences. In operant conditioning, organisms learn to associate their actions with either positive outcomes, such as rewards, or negative outcomes, like punishment. This process involves reinforcements and punishments to shape behavior. Reinforcement, both positive and negative, increases the likelihood that a behavior will recur, while punishment, whether positive or negative, decreases that likelihood. Conditions such as these are used to train animals and humans by gradually modifying behavior through consequences as the individual interacts with stimuli in their environment.
One classic example of operant conditioning involves Skinner's experiments with rats using a Skinner box, where a rat learns to associate pressing a lever with receiving food as a reward. This and other similar experiments underscore the significance of operant conditioning as a powerful method of learning through which voluntary behaviors are shaped by their consequences.