Which definition best describes operant behavior?

Which definition best describes operant behavior?

• A. The response component of a reflex elicited by antecedent stimuli.
• B. Behavior that operates on the environment to bring about change, emitted voluntarily.
• C. A treatment for phobias involving exposure.
• D. Culture as the social heritage of man.

Answer: (B)

Operant behavior is actions that the organism emits and that operate on the environment to produce consequences, with the behavior being under the organism’s voluntary control. This distinction matters because operant behavior is driven by its consequences—reinforcement or punishment—shaping how often the behavior occurs. For example, a person pressing a lever to obtain food or a child asking politely to get a treat are operant behaviors: they act on the environment to produce a change, and the person has some control over when they occur. The other descriptions don’t fit operant behavior. A reflex-like response is elicited automatically by a prior cue and is not under voluntary control. A treatment like exposure therapy is a method used in therapy, not a definition of a type of behavior. Culture refers to shared social heritage, not a behavioral category defined by operant principles. So the best description is behavior that operates on the environment to bring about change and is emitted voluntarily.

Operant behavior is actions that the organism emits and that operate on the environment to produce consequences, with the behavior being under the organism’s voluntary control. This distinction matters because operant behavior is driven by its consequences—reinforcement or punishment—shaping how often the behavior occurs.

For example, a person pressing a lever to obtain food or a child asking politely to get a treat are operant behaviors: they act on the environment to produce a change, and the person has some control over when they occur.

The other descriptions don’t fit operant behavior. A reflex-like response is elicited automatically by a prior cue and is not under voluntary control. A treatment like exposure therapy is a method used in therapy, not a definition of a type of behavior. Culture refers to shared social heritage, not a behavioral category defined by operant principles.

So the best description is behavior that operates on the environment to bring about change and is emitted voluntarily.