Building Healthy Habits with Operant Conditioning

Explanation:
Operant conditioning, developed by B.F. Skinner, explains how behaviors are shaped by their consequences. Positive reinforcement (adding rewarding stimuli) and negative reinforcement (removing aversive stimuli) increase behaviors; punishment decreases behavior.
Repeated reinforcement strengthens neural pathways related to habit formation, which is why rewarding the performance of a desired behavior increases its frequency. Scheduling small, meaningful rewards can help maintain motivation when establishing new habits.

Example:
Someone trying to walk daily rewards themselves with a favorite drink after completing their walk—making continuation more likely.

Citation:
Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. Macmillan.