Operant Conditioning in Soccer Skills Improvement

Emma is a 10-year-old girl who has recently started playing soccer. She finds it difficult to coordinate her movements while running and kicking the ball. After several weeks of practice, she begins to show improvement in her coordination skills. This improvement can be explained through the concept of learning.

Using the scenario described above, explain how the principles of operant conditioning can apply to Emma's improvement in soccer skills. Be sure to define operant conditioning and provide specific examples from the scenario of how it contributes to her learning and skills development.