Operant conditioning is B.F. Skinner’s name for instrumental learning: learning by consequences. Not a new idea, of course. Humanity has always known how to teach children and animals by means of ...

Operant conditioning is a behavioral theory created by famed psychologist B.F. Skinner that suggests that behavior is most easily modified when it produces a negative consequence. This theory can be ...

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American While second nature to many of us, driving a ...