Reinforcement: The Basis of Behavior

Skinner’s fundamental idea is that behavior can be controlled by its consequences, that is, by what follows the behavior. Skinner believed that an animal or a human could be trained to perform virtually any act and that the type of reinforcement that followed the behavior would be responsible for determining it. Skinner distinguished between two kinds of behavior: respondent behavior and operant
Behavior, those are below-

Respondent behavior
Respondent behavior involves a response made to or elicited by a specific stimulus. A reflexive behavior such as a knee jerk is an example of respondent behavior. A stimulus is applied (a tap on the knee) and the response occurs (the leg jerks). This behavior is unlearned. It occurs automatically and involuntarily. We do not have to be trained or conditioned to make the appropriate response. Skinner studied the work of Ivan Pavlov and his emphasis on the importance of reinforcement and extinction.

Operant Behavior
Operant behavior is the behavior emitted spontaneously or voluntarily that operates on the environment to change it. To Skinner, respondent behavior was less important than operant behavior. Skinner believed that the nature and frequency of operant behavior will be determined or modified by the reinforcement that follows the behavior.