What type of conditioning is primarily concerned with behavior that is influenced by rewards or punishments?

Operant conditioning is the type of conditioning that focuses on how behavior is influenced by rewards and punishments. This concept, developed by B.F. Skinner, emphasizes that behaviors followed by desirable outcomes are likely to be repeated, while those that lead to undesirable outcomes are less likely to occur again. In this way, operant conditioning teaches individuals to increase or decrease certain behaviors based on the consequences associated with them.

In contrast, classical conditioning, associated with Ivan Pavlov, involves learning through association between two stimuli rather than rewards or punishments. Observational learning, investigated by Albert Bandura, occurs through watching and imitating the behaviors of others and is not directly tied to the concepts of reinforcement and punishment. Cognitive learning refers to the acquisition of knowledge and skills through intellectual processes, which again does not directly address the influence of rewards and punishments on behavior. Therefore, the essence of operant conditioning lies in its direct connection to behavior modification through reinforcement and punishment, making it the correct choice.