Plain English Meaning

People learn to repeat actions that lead to good outcomes and stop doing actions that lead to bad outcomes. Instructors use this by rewarding what a student does well so the student keeps doing it.

Full Definition

A learning process in which a behavior becomes more or less likely to occur in the future based on the consequences that follow it. Behaviors followed by a desirable result (reinforcement) tend to be repeated; behaviors followed by an undesirable result (punishment) or no result tend to fade. In flight training, an instructor uses operant conditioning by reinforcing correct student actions with praise or progression, and discouraging incorrect actions through correction or lack of reward.

Context Anchor

Seen in instructor training when discussing how students learn habits, procedures, and cockpit behaviors through feedback.

Derivation

From Latin operari, 'to work' or 'to operate.' The term reflects the idea that the learner operates on their environment, and the environment responds with consequences that shape future behavior.