Which statement is true about operant conditioning?

Which statement is true about operant conditioning?

• A. Positive reinforcement increases the frequency of a behavior when followed by a pleasant consequence.
• B. Negative reinforcement decreases the frequency of a behavior.
• C. Punishment increases the frequency of a behavior.
• D. Operant conditioning is the same as classical conditioning.

Answer: (A)

In operant conditioning, behavior is shaped by its consequences. Positive reinforcement adds a pleasant outcome after a behavior, which makes it more likely the behavior will happen again. That’s why the statement is true: a reward after a behavior strengthens the likelihood of that behavior being repeated. The other ideas don’t fit because negative reinforcement actually increases behavior by removing an unpleasant stimulus, not decreases it. Punishment, on the other hand, aims to reduce a behavior, not increase it. And operant conditioning focuses on voluntary actions strengthened or weakened by consequences, whereas classical conditioning involves forming associations between stimuli and involuntary responses.

In operant conditioning, behavior is shaped by its consequences. Positive reinforcement adds a pleasant outcome after a behavior, which makes it more likely the behavior will happen again. That’s why the statement is true: a reward after a behavior strengthens the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.

The other ideas don’t fit because negative reinforcement actually increases behavior by removing an unpleasant stimulus, not decreases it. Punishment, on the other hand, aims to reduce a behavior, not increase it. And operant conditioning focuses on voluntary actions strengthened or weakened by consequences, whereas classical conditioning involves forming associations between stimuli and involuntary responses.