Definition:

Instrumental conditioning, also known as operant conditioning, is a type of learning process in psychology in which behavior is shaped and modified by the consequences it produces. It was developed by behaviorist B.F. Skinner as a counterpart to classical conditioning.

Subtitles:

1. Behavior Modification:

Instrumental conditioning operates through a system of rewards and punishments, aiming to change behaviors and increase the likelihood of desired behaviors while reducing the occurrence of undesirable ones. It focuses on voluntary actions or behaviors that operate on the environment.

2. Reward and Punishment:

Positive reinforcement is used to encourage the repetition of desired behaviors through the delivery of rewards, while negative reinforcement involves the removal of aversive stimuli to increase the probability of a behavior being repeated. Punishment, on the other hand, imposes consequences to discourage the recurrence of undesirable actions.

3. Shaping and Schedules of Reinforcement:

Instrumental conditioning involves shaping, a process of gradually guiding behaviors towards a desired outcome by reinforcing successive approximations. Different schedules of reinforcement, such as continuous or intermittent, can be employed to maintain or extinguish conditioned behaviors.

4. Discrimination and Generalization:

Through instrumental conditioning, individuals learn to differentiate between different cues or stimuli, known as discrimination. They also generalize their knowledge by exhibiting conditioned responses to similar but distinct stimuli.

5. Applications:

Instrumental conditioning has numerous applications in various fields, including education, therapy, and animal training. It is instrumental in shaping desirable behaviors and eliminating harmful or unwanted behaviors.