operant

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of operant Researchers then had both groups compete against pain-free mice in a standard motivational test called a progressive ratio (PR) operant test, in which tasty treats become progressively harder to earn. Ben Thomas, Discover Magazine, 31 July 2014 The current study investigated domestic cat preferences at the individual and population level using a free operant preference assessment. Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2017 Bradfield probably could have parlayed that success into some sort of cushy position with Burnett, but his operant mode was reinvention. Susan Orlean, The New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2022 As such, mobile games have developed into monsters psychologically tuned to rip thousands out of players vulnerable enough to be operant conditioned into a game addiction. Clem Chambers, Forbes, 8 Nov. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operant
Adjective
  • This method is mathematically more efficient because higher interest debts cost more to carry.
    Judy Lagrou, CNBC, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Because dogs learn by association, rewarding them with a treat or praise for their good behavior is essential to make training more efficient and also more appealing to them.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Consequently, these controls exacerbate the tension between patients who have access to safe and efficacious medicines and patients living with untreated or poorly treated conditions.
    Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Thorne is also rigorously tested and has worked with independent researchers from places like Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health, to ensure its products are high-performance, safe, and efficacious.
    Vogue, Vogue, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Will prospective politicos and those holding positions of power prompt effectual projects to maintain upkeep and ensure each and every citizen is safe rather than pushing self-serving, divisive social agendas?
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2024
  • Others argue even if wilderness therapy is effectual for some, its premise is flawed.
    Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024
Adjective
  • Finding someone to out-Trump Trump might look like an expedient solution to an immediate problem.
    Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Trading long-term gains for short-term impact may seem like the expedient choice, except for one lingering question: What if the most expensive decision is not going to college at all?
    Judy D. Olian, TIME, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • These items are widely available and effective at blocking unauthorized scans.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025
  • One dose is 93% effective and two doses are 97% effective at preventing measles.
    Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Operant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operant. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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