In conditioning, any behavior or specific response chosen by the experimenter; its frequency is intended to increase or decrease by the judicious pairing with it of a reinforcer when it occurs. SYN: target behavior (1), target response.
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op·er·ant 'äp-ə-rənt adj of, relating to, or being an operant or operant conditioning <\operant behavior> compare RESPONDENT
op·er·ant·ly adv
operant n behavior (as bar pressing by a rat to obtain food) that operates on the environment to produce rewarding and reinforcing effects
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adj.
describing a unit of behaviour that is defined by its effect on the environment. See conditioning.
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op·er·ant (opґər-ənt) in psychology, any response that is not elicited by specific external stimuli but that recurs at a given rate in a particular set of circumstances. See also conditioning.Medical dictionary. 2011.