Operant Conditioning is based on which principle?

Operant Conditioning is based on which principle?

• A. It is based on observing others only
• B. It is based on feelings and actions that are reinforced and rewarded
• C. It asserts that therapy should not involve reinforcement
• D. It ignores token economies

Answer: (B)

Operant conditioning is about how consequences shape behavior. When a behavior is followed by a reward or the removal of something unpleasant, that behavior becomes more likely to happen again. That idea—reinforcement or reward strengthening actions—is the central mechanism. Observing others only describes learning by imitation (social learning), not the consequence-driven process of operant conditioning. Saying therapy should not involve reinforcement goes against the fundamental approach, since reinforcement is commonly used to encourage desirable behaviors. Token economies are a classic example of operant conditioning in practice, using tokens as rewards to strengthen targeted behaviors. So the principle captured here is that actions that are reinforced and rewarded become more likely to occur in the future.

Operant conditioning is about how consequences shape behavior. When a behavior is followed by a reward or the removal of something unpleasant, that behavior becomes more likely to happen again. That idea—reinforcement or reward strengthening actions—is the central mechanism. Observing others only describes learning by imitation (social learning), not the consequence-driven process of operant conditioning. Saying therapy should not involve reinforcement goes against the fundamental approach, since reinforcement is commonly used to encourage desirable behaviors. Token economies are a classic example of operant conditioning in practice, using tokens as rewards to strengthen targeted behaviors. So the principle captured here is that actions that are reinforced and rewarded become more likely to occur in the future.