What type of conditioning is characterized by reinforcement and punishment?

Operant conditioning is characterized by the use of reinforcement and punishment to modify behavior. This form of learning focuses on how consequences influence the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. Reinforcement increases the probability of a behavior occurring again by providing a reward or positive outcome, while punishment decreases the likelihood of a behavior by introducing a negative consequence or removing a positive one. This process helps in shaping individual behavior through systematic rewards and consequences.

In contrast, classical conditioning involves learning through association, typically demonstrated through an unconditioned stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response, becoming linked with a conditioned stimulus. Cognitive conditioning and emotional conditioning deal with the influence of cognition and emotions on learning behavior, but do not fundamentally focus on the principles of reinforcement and punishment like operant conditioning does. Thus, operant conditioning is clearly distinguished by its emphasis on these behavioral modifications.