How do people interact with their environment? How do the people and things around you influence the outcomes of your behavior?

These are the questions that B. F. Skinner (1904-1990) attempts to answer with operant conditioning. Skinner's ideas pair wonderfully with Pavlov, as his behavioral psychology approach is much less experimental and much more closely aligned with the scientific method; Lacan's approach is more philosophical, for instance, and contrasts Skinner's approach.

This is also one of the most dominant psychological models in education today. Teachers are explicitly taught to use positive and negative reinforcement to mold student behavior. Those words, "Positive and negative reinforcement," might sound obvious or familiar to you, further showcasing how widespread and influential B. F. Skinner's ideas are.