Editing Operant conditioning (section)

===Thorndike's law of effect===
{{Main|Law of effect}}
Operant conditioning, sometimes called ''instrumental learning'', was first extensively studied by [[Edward L. Thorndike]] (1874–1949), who observed the behavior of cats trying to escape from home-made puzzle boxes.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal|last1=Thorndike|first1=E.L.|year=1901|title=Animal intelligence: An experimental study of the associative processes in animals|journal=Psychological Review Monograph Supplement|volume=2|pages=1–109}}</ref> A cat could escape from the box by a simple response such as pulling a cord or pushing a pole, but when first constrained, the cats took a long time to get out. With repeated trials ineffective responses occurred less frequently and successful responses occurred more frequently, so the cats escaped more and more quickly.<ref name=":0" /> Thorndike generalized this finding in his [[law of effect]], which states that behaviors followed by satisfying consequences tend to be repeated and those that produce unpleasant consequences are less likely to be repeated. In short, some consequences ''strengthen'' behavior and some consequences ''weaken'' behavior. By plotting escape time against trial number Thorndike produced the first known animal [[learning curve]]s through this procedure.<ref>Miltenberger, R. G. "Behavioral Modification: Principles and Procedures". [[Thomson/Wadsworth]], 2008. p. 9.</ref>

Humans appear to learn many simple behaviors through the sort of process studied by Thorndike, now called operant conditioning. That is, responses are retained when they lead to a successful outcome and discarded when they do not, or when they produce aversive effects. This usually happens without being planned by any "teacher", but operant conditioning has been used by parents in teaching their children for thousands of years.<ref name="parenting">Miltenberger, R. G., & Crosland, K. A. (2014). Parenting. The wiley blackwell handbook of operant and classical conditioning. (pp. 509–531) Wiley-Blackwell. {{doi|10.1002/9781118468135.ch20}}</ref>