Operant Conditioning and Observational Learning

Operant Conditioning

As you learn, you begin to understand your environment and surrounding stimuli differently. This, in turn, will cause you to experience possible or permanent behavioral changes. In fact, learning is often the result of consequences. For example, humans and animals learn to avoid a behavior that brings a negative result, or repeat one because it brings a desirable outcome.

The basis of operant conditioning is that positive or negative consequences encourage people to either engage in the behavior again, or not. Similarly, the psychological principle, known as the Law of Effect, states that behavior that is followed by positive consequences is likely to occur again, but behavior that is followed by undesirable consequences is likely to be terminated. Take a moment to explore more details on operant conditioning. Click the player to begin.

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Observational Learning

What do you learn from watching others? Join the students from Woodlawn Heights High School and find out why observational learning is an integral part of psychology. Help the group answer questions posed by Mr. Baker, and consider your feelings about Albert Bandura's experiment. Click the player to begin.

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Operant Conditioning and Observational Learning Review

Now that you have explored information on operant conditioning and observational learning, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Click the player to get started.