Reward Learning

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Reward learning, also called reinforcement learning, we associate stimuli, actions, and contexts with positive outcomes and modify our behavior based on the outcomes of our actions. When a behavior results in a positive outcome, the brain strengthens the neural pathways associated with that behavior, making it more likely to be repeated. Reward learning builds on B.F. Skinner’s operant conditioning, in which behaviors followed by positive outcomes become more likely to recur. More broadly, these learning processes help organisms determine what to approach, avoid, repeat, or abandon.