Reinforcement in operant conditioning is best described as:

• A. A consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior.
• B. A neutral event with no effect on behavior.
• C. A specific consequence to a behavior that increases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated.
• D. A process of observing others to learn a behavior.

Answer: (C)

In operant conditioning, reinforcement is any consequence that strengthens a behavior, making it more likely to occur again. The statement that describes a specific consequence following a behavior that increases the likelihood of the behavior being repeated fits this idea exactly. Reinforcement can be positive—adding a desirable stimulus after the behavior (like praise or a reward)—or negative—removing an aversive stimulus after the behavior (like stopping a loud noise). Both forms increase the chance the behavior will happen again. The other descriptions refer to punishment (decreasing the behavior), a neutral event with no effect, or learning by watching others (observational learning), which are not reinforcement.