Reinforcer

What is a reinforcer?

A reinforcer is identified by its effect: following a response, it strengthens future responding under the relevant conditions. Ferster and Skinner’s account uses this functional meaning. Calling something a reward does not establish that it has that effect.

Positive and negative reinforcement

In Skinner’s terminology, a positive reinforcer strengthens responding when presented; a negative reinforcer is an aversive stimulus whose withdrawal strengthens responding. Both describe reinforcement, not a distinction between good and bad behavior.

For example, praise would qualify as reinforcement only if the relevant response becomes more likely. Stopping an aversive noise following a response can also reinforce that response. The noise is the condition removed; relief is the resulting change.

Primary and secondary reinforcers

Primary reinforcers do not depend on learning their reinforcing value; food and water are common examples. Secondary, or conditioned, reinforcers acquire that value through learning. Money is an example. This distinction, described in OpenStax’s account of operant conditioning, does not make any consequence effective in every situation: food need not reinforce the same behavior in a hungry person and a full person.

How to identify a reinforcer

Specify the behavior and observe what changes when the consequence depends on it.

For more on learned reinforcing value and the money example, see secondary reinforcer.