Final answer:
E) Operant conditioning is the theory that individuals become conditioned to specific stimuli to act in a specific way through the consequences they receive for their behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
E) Operant conditioning is the theory that suggests individuals become conditioned to specific stimuli to act in a specific way through the consequences they receive for their behavior.
This theory was proposed by psychologist B.F. Skinner who believed that behaviors that are followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated, and behaviors that are followed by unpleasant consequences are less likely to be repeated.
For example, if a person gets paid for showing up to work, they are more likely to continue showing up.
In operant conditioning, the conditioned behavior is modified by its consequences, either through reinforcement or punishment.
Reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior, while punishment decreases the likelihood of a behavior. This type of learning is based on the concept of the law of effect, which states that behaviors that are followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated.
Another aspect of operant conditioning is observational learning or modeling, where individuals learn behaviors by observing others.
This theory is part of the social-cognitive perspective of personality development, which emphasizes both learning and cognition as sources of individual differences in personality.