Operant conditioning
MCAT glossary · Psychological, Social & Biological Foundations of Behavior
Definition
Learning in which the consequences of a voluntary behavior alter its future probability.
Operant conditioning in plain English
Operant conditioning is learning from consequences: you do something, and what happens next makes you more or less likely to do it again. If a behavior gets rewarded you repeat it; if it gets punished you avoid it — that's it. It's like a dog that sits and gets a treat: the treat 'stamps in' the sitting. The key word is voluntary — this is about actions you choose (studying, texting, pressing a lever), not automatic reflexes like flinching.
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