How operant conditioning can help you build better habits
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
Using positive or negative reinforcement, also called operant conditioning, can be a great way to influence behavior. Here's how it can help you change your habits.
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to mindlessly scroll on social media for an hour — and how tough it is to hit the gym regularly? Or maybe you’ve realized that a nightly bowl of ice cream has become your new norm, but waking up early to work on your novel is a daily challenge?
Creating new habits can be simple if they’re enjoyable, but less so if they’re not. Even more difficult? Breaking bad habits that bring you pleasure. That’s because what we do is shaped by consequences — a process called operant conditioning.
When you're trying to start positive new habits (like eating more vegetables) or breaking bad ones (like procrastinating), understanding how operant conditioning works can help you make lasting change.
What is operant conditioning?
Operant conditioning is a way of saying that consequences shape your behavior. If you’re rewarded for something you do, you’re more likely to do it again. On the flip side, if a behavior leads to something unpleasant, it's less likely to occur in the future.
If your boss praises you for a job well done, you’re more likely to work hard on your next assignment. Similarly, if you’re reprimanded for slacking off, you’re less likely to dilly-dally at work moving forward.
Also known as “learning by consequence,” operant conditioning can set the foundation for people’s parenting styles, personal habits, and more.
The history of operant conditioning
In the early 1900s, psychologist Edward Thorndike developed the law of effect — the idea that behaviors followed by positive outcomes are more likely to be repeated, and those followed by negative consequences were not.
Behaviorist B.F. Skinner expanded on this idea in the 1930s, when he conducted experiments in which rats and pigeons learned to press levers or peck buttons to receive food rewards. His studies demonstrated how behavior could be shaped by reinforcement (rewards) and punishment. And while there were critics of both Thorndike and Skinner’s experiments, their theories had a big impact on consequences in education and behavioral therapy.
Reinforcement and punishment in operant conditioning
If you want to start new habits or break old ones, reinforcement is generally more effective in encouraging long-term changes than punishment. While punishment might stop a behavior in the short term, it can also lead to negative emotions like frustration or resentment. Positive reinforcement builds motivation, making it easier to stick with good habits.
Positive reinforcement: Adding something pleasant can encourage a behavior, like giving a compliment after finishing a project, or giving a child a lollipop and a balloon after a haircut.
Negative reinforcement: Removing something unpleasant can encourage a behavior. Your car might sound an alert if you’re not wearing a seatbelt, but when you buckle up, the annoying noise stops.
Positive punishment: Adding something unpleasant can reduce unwanted behaviors, like shouting at a person to get out of the street. It’s not usually the most effective way to change behavior, but it can still be useful in some situations.
Negative punishment: Removing something desirable can also make you less likely to repeat certain behaviors, like denying yourself TV time if you don’t finish your work.
5 examples of operant conditioning in daily life
Whether you know it or not, most of us are experiencing operant conditioning often in our everyday lives. We might experience it with our children, our animals, or at our jobs.
1. Parenting your children
When parents reward their child for some behaviors or enforce consequences for others, they’re hoping to shape how their child acts.
Positive reinforcement: When a child gets praised for cleaning up their toys, they may be more likely to do it again in the future. To ensure that this becomes a long-term habit (and not something they’re just doing for the reward), it’s also important to help them understand the inherent value of tidying up.
Negative punishment: If a child hits their sibling with a toy, a parent might explain that they need to be more gentle and then take the toy away until they can play safely with it. This punishment may make the child think twice before they use the toy so forcefully.
2. In the workplace
In the workplace, employers often use operant conditioning to help motivate employees and shape performance.
Positive reinforcement: An employee might be given a bonus for meeting a sales target. This may encourage them to keep working hard.
Negative reinforcement: If an employee gets their work done ahead of schedule, their manager might remove extra administrative work to say thank you. While it might encourage them to keep meeting deadlines early, if this reward isn’t repeated in future, they might lose morale.
3. With fitness and health
Operant conditioning can help you build healthy habits or stick to fitness goals, using positive or negative reinforcement to motivate yourself.
Positive reinforcement: Many health and wellness apps offer badges or rewards when you complete a workout or reach a milestone. The positive experience is designed to keep you motivated.
Negative reinforcement: If you tend to feel anxious or stressed, regular exercise might help relieve those feelings. Knowing that working out can reduce anxiety might motivate you to keep going.
4. Training pets
Training a dog might involve rewarding desirable behaviors, and discouraging unwanted behaviors with a mild consequence.
Positive reinforcement: When you’re training a puppy, you might offer a treat every time they sit on command. This positive reinforcement can make the dog associate sitting with a reward, which may make them more likely to sit when asked in future.
Negative punishment: If a puppy chews its blanket, you might remove the blanket for a few minutes, and repeat until the behavior stops. By removing something the dog enjoys, you're using negative punishment to reduce the behavior.
5. In schools
Teachers and schools often use operant conditioning to encourage learning and good behavior in the classroom.
Positive reinforcement: When a student completes their homework on time and the teacher praises them or gives extra credit, they may be more likely to keep up the good work.
Negative punishment: If a child is disruptive in class, the teacher might take away recess. This may discourage disruption in the future — but critics argue that this doesn’t address the underlying cause of the behavior.
How operant conditioning can help you build better habits: 6 tips to influence your behavior
Building better habits isn’t always easy, but operant conditioning might help you take a more mindful and structured approach to making positive changes in your life. Here are a few ways that you can employ operant conditioning in daily life.
1. Be clear about the habit you want to build or change
Before you start, be specific about the change you want to make. Instead of saying, “I want to be healthier,” say, “I want to walk for 30 minutes every day.” This can make it easier to consider what reinforcements to make and track your progress.
💙 Explore How to Make Healthy Habits Stick with this session from the Daily Spark.
2. Choose positive reinforcement that motivates you
To build a new habit, choose rewards that genuinely motivate you, and use them consistently. It’s best to reward yourself immediately after completing the desired behavior so your brain makes a strong connection between the two. If your goal is to exercise more, treat yourself to something simple after every workout, like a shower with your favorite products or a tasty smoothie.
💙 Let Jay Shetty explain why you’re never too old to Give Yourself a Lollipop as a reward!
3. Use negative reinforcement to remove obstacles
Instead of adding a reward, you could try negative reinforcement — removing something unpleasant to encourage a behavior — because making the habit more pleasant may make you more likely to stick with it. If you don’t like a busy gym environment but you want to exercise, try working out at home or running in the park. Removing the uncomfortable environment can make exercising more fun, making you want to do it more often.
💙 Struggling to create a new habit? Get support from Dr. Julie Smith on how to Make it Easier for Yourself with the Build Habits that Actually Stick series.
4. Be cautious with punishment
While reinforcement is generally more effective for long-term habit building, punishment can be helpful in certain situations — especially when you're trying to break a bad habit. Still, be careful… If a punishment is too harsh or frequent, it can lead to frustration or resentment, making it harder to stay motivated. For this reason, reinforcement is usually the better choice for long-term behavior change.
5. Track your progress and stay consistent
Operant conditioning works best when you reinforce behaviors regularly. Consider keeping a checklist to track your progress, which can be a motivating reward in itself. This also helps you stay accountable and notice patterns—like when you tend to struggle with sticking to your habit—so you can adjust your strategy if needed.
The more you reinforce a behavior, the more natural it may start to feel, and eventually, you won’t need to rely on rewards as much.
💙 Discover the benefits of Building Consistency with this meditation from our Staying on Track series.
6. Adjust your approach when needed
Building better habits takes time, and it’s important to remember that setbacks are a normal part of the process. If you notice that your reinforcement strategy isn’t working as well as you’d hoped, don’t be afraid to make changes. Adjust your rewards, find new ways to remove obstacles, or add more structure to your routine.
The goal of operant conditioning is to shape your behavior over time, so be patient with yourself. Celebrate small wins along the way and focus on progress, not perfection.
💙 Are you a perfectionist? If so, this meditation on how to Let Go of Perfectionism may be exactly what you need to hear today.
Operant conditioning FAQs
How does operant conditioning differ from classical conditioning?
Operant conditioning refers to the connection between behaviors and their outcomes, but classical conditioning involves linking two stimuli.
Operative conditioning involves giving someone praise when they do something you like because you hope the reward makes them more likely to repeat that behavior in the future. By contrast, Pavlov’s dogs are an example of classical conditioning, as the dogs learned to associate the sound of a bell with food.
Can operant conditioning be used to break bad habits?
Operant conditioning can be a useful tool for breaking bad habits. By introducing negative consequences (punishment) or removing something unpleasant (negative reinforcement), you may be able to cut down on the unwanted behaviors. You might limit your screen time as a consequence for spending too much time on your phone. Here are eight other ways to break bad habits.
Pairing this with positive reinforcement for good behaviors—like rewarding yourself for sticking to your goals—can help replace bad habits with better ones.
What are the limitations of using punishment in operant conditioning?
Punishment can reduce unwanted behaviors, but it can have several limitations.
It can create frustration or anxiety, and often, it doesn’t teach alternative, positive behaviors. Overusing punishment may also damage motivation or relationships, which can make it less effective for long-term changes.
Reinforcement, especially positive reinforcement, is usually a better strategy because it encourages the desired behaviors rather than focusing only on stopping bad ones.
How is operant conditioning applied in modern education?
In education, operant conditioning is widely used to encourage good behavior and learning. Teachers often use positive reinforcement (like praise, extra credit, or rewards) to motivate students to complete tasks or engage in class.
Negative punishment, like losing free time for misbehaving, may also be used — though reinforcement tends to be more effective.
What are the ethical considerations in using operant conditioning techniques?
When using operant conditioning, punishments should be fair, appropriate, and never cause harm. Overusing punishment (or making them too harsh) can lead to fear or resentment, which can disrupt the learning process.
Relatedly, reinforcement should be meaningful and respectful, with the goal of promoting positive behaviors and personal growth — not manipulation or unnecessary pressure.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
Mental health is hard. Getting support doesn't have to be. The Calm app puts the tools to feel better in your back pocket, with personalized content to manage stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and feel more present in your life.
Images: Getty
