Who is recognized as the inventor of Operant Conditioning?

B.F. Skinner is recognized as the inventor of Operant Conditioning, a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology. Operant Conditioning is a learning process through which the strength of a behavior is modified by reinforcement or punishment. Skinner's work emphasized the role of external consequences in shaping behavior, illustrating how actions can be increased or decreased based on the rewards given or the punishments applied.

Skinner conducted extensive experiments often using a device known as the "Skinner Box," where he observed the behaviors of animals, particularly rats and pigeons, in response to reinforcements. Through his research, he formulated the principles of reinforcement schedules, shaping, and the concept of operant behavior, which have become foundational in both psychology and educational practices.

Other figures mentioned, while influential in psychology, do not pertain to Operant Conditioning. Sigmund Freud is known for developing psychoanalysis and theories related to the unconscious mind. John B. Watson is recognized for establishing behaviorism, which laid the groundwork for later behavioral theories but did not specifically develop operant conditioning concepts. Ivan Pavlov is famous for classical conditioning, where learning occurs through associations, differing fundamentally from the principles of operant conditioning established by Skinner. Therefore, B.F. Skinner is clearly the