Operant conditioning plays an important role in our daily lives. Throughout history, people have used this same technique to function in everyday society. Some people can use this to their advantage and others to their disadvantage. This type of conditioning can be used in a positive or negative way. Some of the early leaders in this field of study were people such as B.F. Skinner and Edward Thorndike. These two men played a major role in the concept of operant conditioning, such as performing experiments in positive and negative behavior and instrumental behavior. These experiments may involve rats pressing a button to get food. According to (Dragoi and Staddon, 1999, P.4), operant behavior is influenced by situations that have occurred in the past. Operant behavior basically studies how something reacts when something is given or taken away and how it responds through adaptation. (Iverson, 1992, P.1). Another major study was also carried out by Edward Thorndike (Problem box). Edward Thorndike made a box of obstacles so that a cat could enter the box and try to escape by pressing a simple lever. (Iverson, 1992, P.1). Skinner studied this experiment and decided to propose his own experiment on rats. Skinner took a different path than Thorndike with his experience. Skinner was primarily interested in the rat's behavior when foraging for food. Thorndike based his study on the object he was experimenting on and whether he could escape by completing the same task by learning to do it over and over again. Skinner, on the other hand, wanted to know what level of difficulty the rat would encounter in obtaining food. (Iverson, 1992, P.1). The operational state has been observed for a long time...... middle of paper ......r To obtain food, the pig would have to climb stairs, pass through a cage, and slide down a slide in order to ring a bell and feed on a certain amount of food which is rewarded to him. This type of operant conditioning was positive reinforcement. Because every time the pig passed its obstacles, it received more food in exchange for its good behavior. Operant conditioning is an act of discipline and is constantly performed every day. Whether it could be performed on animals or humans, the history of the operant condition and its experiments allowed the future psychologist to advance in new studies and discover new things. People behave in different ways, but they learn from what they see and feel. Some may respond better to punishment, others act well when rewarded. As long as these procedures are constantly reinforced, the subject will retain their knowledge..