Who proposed operant conditioning?

• A. Pavlov
• B. Bandura
• C. Thorndike
• D. Skinner

Answer: (D)

Operant conditioning is learning that happens because of the consequences that follow a behavior. The idea is that our actions are shaped by reinforcement or punishment: behaviors followed by rewards tend to be repeated, while those followed by aversive outcomes are less likely to occur again. This framework was formalized by B.F. Skinner, who studied how reinforcement and punishment control voluntary behavior using controlled environments like the Skinner box. He introduced concepts such as shaping, reinforcement schedules, and the distinction between positive and negative reinforcement, showing how different consequences can systematically shape how often a behavior happens.

Skinner built on an earlier idea from Thorndike, the law of effect, which suggested that satisfying outcomes strengthen behaviors, but Skinner gave a precise, experimental approach and a full theory of how operant conditioning works. In contrast, Pavlov is known for classical conditioning, where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an automatic response after pairing with a stimulus, not through voluntary behavior shaped by consequences. Bandura focuses on observational learning and cognitive processes, emphasizing learning that occurs by watching others rather than by direct reinforcement of one’s own behavior.

So, operant conditioning was proposed and developed by Skinner.