Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which we associate our voluntary actions with the consequences of those actions. For example, a pigeon naturally pecks things. But if every time the pigeon pecks a ball, he is given a reinforcer, the pigeon will soon learn to peck the ball more frequently.
B. F. Skinner showed that operant conditioning could do more than elicit simple, isolated actions. Through the process of shaping, in which reinforcers are used to change behaviors toward a more complex behavior, Skinner taught his pigeons to perform behaviors involving a series of actions, like bowling and tennis. Today, shaping is used routinely by parents, teachers, coaches, and employers to train all kinds of complex behaviors.