Contingencies of Reinforcement. Chapter 5: Operant behavior. Quote 4

“The term “operant” distinguishes between reflexes and responses which operate directly on the environment . . . . The alternative term, instrumental, suggests the use of tools. To say that a rat “uses a lever to obtain food” has purposive overtones, and where nothing can be identified as an instrument, it is often said that the organism “uses a response” to gain an effect.” (p. 109)

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