Operant conditioning is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology, primarily developed through the work of Edward Thorndike and B.F. Skinner. Thorndike introduced the law of effect, which posits that behaviors followed by rewards are likely to be repeated, while those followed by punishments are less likely to occur. This principle was derived from his experiments with cats in puzzle boxes, where he observed that cats learned to perform specific actions, such as pulling a lever to access food, after experiencing the reward of food for that behavior. Over time, the cats became more inclined to repeat the successful action rather than engage in random behaviors.

Building on Thorndike's findings, B.F. Skinner further explored the relationship between behavior and its consequences, coining the term operant conditioning. Skinner developed the operant conditioning chamber, commonly known as the Skinner box, which allowed for controlled experiments with animals like rats and pigeons. In this setup, animals could press a lever to receive food, with visual cues such as a green light indicating reinforcement and a red light signaling punishment. Skinner's experiments often included mild electric shocks or unpleasant sounds as forms of punishment, demonstrating how the environment responds to an organism's actions.

Operant conditioning emphasizes the significance of consequences in shaping behavior, contrasting with classical conditioning, which focuses on associations between stimuli. In operant conditioning, the likelihood of a behavior being repeated is influenced by whether it is followed by reinforcement (a positive outcome) or punishment (a negative outcome). This framework provides a comprehensive understanding of how behaviors can be modified through systematic reinforcement and punishment, laying the groundwork for various applications in education, psychology, and behavior modification.