What type of conditioning involves the modification of behavior due to rewards?

Operant conditioning is the type of conditioning that focuses on modifying behavior through the use of rewards or consequences. In this learning process, an individual's behavior is modified based on the responses it produces in the environment. When a desired behavior is followed by a positive consequence or reward, the likelihood of that behavior being repeated in the future increases. For example, if a dog sits on command and is rewarded with a treat, the dog is more likely to sit on command again, reinforcing that behavior through positive reinforcement.

Understanding operant conditioning is essential for trainers as it provides the foundation for many training methods. It helps in shaping desired behaviors by using reinforcers or consequences to encourage specific actions. This is distinct from other types of conditioning: latent learning involves learning that occurs without reinforcement but is not immediately expressed, classical conditioning pairs a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response, and instinctual conditioning is related to innate behavior patterns that are not learned through experience.