Why We Made This:
Folks often struggle to fully grasp the nuances of operant conditioning. Many confuse reinforcement with punishment or misapply positive and negative forms of each. Even more find it challenging to remember and distinguish between the different reinforcement schedules — fixed vs. variable, ratio vs. interval — and how they affect behavior over time. These charts organize these concepts in a digestible way to clear away confusion and break down complex components into clear examples and explanations. 
 
Learning Objectives:
Identify the differences between reinforcement and punishment.
Understand when to use each type of reinforcement or punishment to effectively shape behavior.
Learn the impact of different schedules of reinforcement on learning and behavior persistence.
Retain the information more easily by pairing definitions with visual aids, examples, and clear comparisons.
Compare operant and classical conditioning in real-world examples.