operant

Operant, in psychology, refers to a behavior that acts on the environment to produce consequences. In psychology, the term is central to operant conditioning, a learning process studied by B. F. Skinner. Operant behaviors are voluntary and shaped by their outcomes rather than by internal stimuli alone, unlike reflexive responses in classical conditioning.

Key concepts include the ABCs of antecedent, operant response, and consequence. The consequences inform future behavior: reinforcement increases the likelihood of the behavior, while punishment decreases it. Reinforcement and punishment can be positive or negative, depending on whether a stimulus is added or removed.

Schedules of reinforcement describe how often contingencies are applied, including continuous reinforcement and intermittent schedules such as fixed ratio, variable ratio, fixed interval, and variable interval. These schedules influence rate, persistence, and resistance to extinction.

Operant conditioning differs from classical conditioning, which pairs two stimuli to elicit a response rather than relying on consequences. Applications include education, animal training, behavioral therapy, and organizational behavior management. Classic demonstrations include a rat in a Skinner box learning to press a lever for food and humans receiving praise or tokens for desired behavior.