Who developed the concept of operant conditioning?

The concept of operant conditioning was developed by B.F. Skinner. This psychological principle revolves around the idea that behaviors are influenced by the consequences that follow them. Skinner conducted extensive research involving reinforcement and punishment, demonstrating how these factors could increase or decrease the likelihood of a behavior occurring again in the future.

Skinner's work is foundational in behaviorism, emphasizing that learning occurs as a result of an individual's interaction with their environment. Through experiments using devices known as Skinner boxes, he was able to observe how animals, such as rats and pigeons, learn to perform specific behaviors in response to rewards or punishments.

On the other hand, John B. Watson focused largely on observable behaviors and is recognized as the founder of behaviorism, but he did not develop operant conditioning specifically. Ivan Pavlov is known for classical conditioning, which involves learning through association rather than consequences. Carl Jung is associated with analytical psychology and is known for concepts such as the collective unconscious and archetypes, neither of which relate to the learning principles described by Skinner in operant conditioning.