Final answer:
The cats' increasing speed in escaping from a puzzle box in exchange for a fish reward exemplifies operant conditioning, where a behavior is reinforced by a consequence, leading to an increased likelihood of the behavior's repetition.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon described where cats received a fish reward for escaping from a puzzle box and improved their escape speed with successive trials is best explained by c) operant conditioning. This type of learning involves an animal learning to associate a particular behavior with a consequence, as in the case with the cats where the behavior of escaping was rewarded with a fish, strengthening the likelihood of this behavior being repeated in the future.
Operant conditioning is defined by B. F. Skinner's work and is based on the law of effect proposed by Edward Thorndike, which states that behaviors followed by satisfying consequences tend to be repeated, while those with unpleasant consequences are not. In this operative framework, the cats' progressively faster escapes from the puzzle box were due to the positive reinforcement (getting a fish) after they exhibited the desired behavior (escaping).