Operant Conditioning

• Operant Conditioning is a change in the probability of a behaviour being performed due to a learned association between that behaviour and a meaningful consequence for the animal.
• The animal learns that a behaviour is followed by a consequence that is appetitive (a reinforcer) or aversive (a punisher), and accordingly repeats the behaviour or avoids it. This forms the basis of most of animal training. 
• Reinforcement and punishment referring to change in the affective state of the animal and hence the change in likelihood of performing a behaviour which it is contingent upon.
• A reinforcer is a stimulus (such as an appetitive or the removal of an aversive) that increases the probability of a behaviour occurring.
• A punisher is a stimulus (such as a removal of an appetitive or the addition of an aversive) that reduces the probability of a behaviour occurring again in the future.
• Positive Reinforcement - Something added to encourage behaviour.
• Negative Reinforcement - Something removed to encourage behaviour.
• Positive Punishment - Something added to discourage behaviour.
• Negative Punishment - Something removed to discourage behaviour.