Law of Effect and Opperating Conditioning

Edward Thorndike
 The box experiment was that he placed a cat in a puzzle box and the cat was encouraged to escape. He put a cat into the box and timed how long it took to escape. The cats experimented with different ways to escape the puzzle box and reach the fish. Then he continued putting the cat in the box and each time it finds his way faster. Thorndikes law of effect stated that Responses that are closely followed by satisfying consequences become associated with the situation, and are more likely to recur when a situation is subsequently encountered. The law of exercise Stated that behavior is more strongly established through frequent connections of stimulus and response.

B.F. Skinner
The Skinner's operating conditioning states that it is the use of behavior’s antecedent and its consequences to influence the occurrence and form of behavior. Reinforcemtn causes  a behavior to occur with greater frequency. Punishment Consequences that cause a behavior to occur with less frequency. Positive is followed by a stimulus that is appetitive or rewarding while negative reinforcement is followed by the removal of an aversive stimulus.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning