Operant Conditioning

Positive reinforcement is the process of increasing the frequency of a behavior by providing a pleasant consequence.

Punishment is the process of decreasing the frequency of a behavior by providing an unpleasant consequence.

Negative reinforcement is the process of increasing the frequency of a behavior by removing an unpleasant consequence.

Shaping is the process of gradually changing the behavior of an organism by reinforcing successive approximations of the desired behavior.

Extinction is the process of decreasing the frequency of a behavior when it is no longer reinforced.

Generalization is the process of increasing the frequency of a behavior when it is reinforced in a different context.

Discrimination is the process of decreasing the frequency of a behavior when it is reinforced in a different context.

Spontaneous recovery is the process of a behavior reappearing after it has been extinguished.

A variable-ratio schedule is a reinforcement schedule in which the number of responses required for reinforcement varies.

A fixed-ratio schedule is a reinforcement schedule in which a fixed number of responses are required for reinforcement.

A fixed-interval schedule is a reinforcement schedule in which reinforcement is delivered after a fixed amount of time.

A variable-interval schedule is a reinforcement schedule in which reinforcement is delivered after a variable amount of time.

Behavior modification, behavior therapy, and applied behavior analysis are all terms for the process of using operant conditioning to change behavior.

Positive reinforcement is the use of operant conditioning to increase the frequency of a desired behavior.

Punishment is the use of operant conditioning to decrease the frequency of an undesired behavior.