Give a brief explanation of Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning.

B.F. Skinner was an American psychologist who contributed significantly to the field of behaviorism. He propounded the operant conditioning theory which is a method of associative learning. Skinner’s theory is based on the law of effect theory propounded by Thorndike. Operant condition involves the use of repetition in which the behavior that has received a positive reinforcement (reward) has a probability to be repeated whereas the behavior which has received a negative reinforcement (punishment) is less likely to be repeated. Skinner is regarded as the father of Operant Conditioning. Similar to Thorndike’s puzzle box, Skinner conducted his experiments on a Skinner Box using animals.   Read Full Lesson: Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning