A stimulus or event that is naturally or inherently reinforcing for a given species is called a _____, and a stimulus or event that has acquired reinforcing value by being associated with a primary reinforcer is called a _____ .
A) positive reinforcer; negative reinforcer
B) primary reinforcer; conditioned reinforcer
C) negative reinforcer; positive reinforcer
D) conditioned reinforcer; secondary reinforcer

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A primary reinforcer is naturally reinforcing, such as food, water, or sex. A conditioned reinforcer is a stimulus that has acquired reinforcing value by being associated with a primary reinforcer, such as money or praise. Therefore, choice B is the correct answer. The other options are incorrect because they either describe different types of reinforcement altogether (positive and negative reinforcers) or include terms that are not part of the reinforcement terminology (secondary reinforcer).

A Stimulus or Event That Is Naturally or Inherently Reinforcing