Which term refers to the reinforcement of behavior that results in a favorable outcome?

The term that refers to the reinforcement of behavior that results in a favorable outcome is reinforcement. In the context of behavioral psychology, reinforcement is a key concept that explains how behaviors are strengthened when they are followed by positive outcomes or rewards. When an individual engages in a behavior that leads to a desirable effect, that behavior is more likely to be repeated in the future. This process can be understood through the principles of operant conditioning, where reinforcement can be positive (adding a pleasant stimulus) or negative (removing an unpleasant stimulus), both of which increase the likelihood of the behavior occurring again.

The other options relate to different concepts that do not directly define this process. Extinction, for example, specifically refers to the reduction or elimination of a behavior when it is no longer reinforced. Conditioning is a broader term encompassing the process of learning associations between stimuli and responses, but it does not specifically refer to the reinforcement of behavior. Observation, typically related to social learning theory, involves learning by watching others, which is separate from the reinforcement of one’s own behavior.