What is the process where behavior becomes influenced by its consequences called?

The process where behavior becomes influenced by its consequences is known as operant conditioning. This concept, primarily developed by B.F. Skinner, asserts that behaviors followed by positive outcomes, or reinforcements, are likely to be repeated, while behaviors followed by negative outcomes, or punishments, are less likely to occur again.

In operant conditioning, the focus is on how certain outcomes contribute to learning new behaviors and modifying existing ones based on the consequences they produce. This is in contrast to classical conditioning, where behavior is learned through associations between stimuli without consideration of the consequences. Observational learning involves acquiring new behaviors by watching others, rather than through direct consequences to one's own actions. The term "operative learning" is not a recognized concept in psychology, which further solidifies that operant conditioning is indeed the correct term for this process.