Which term describes a stimulus that, when provided immediately after a response, increases the future frequency of that response?

• A. Reinforcement
• B. Reinforcer
• C. Unconditioned reinforcer
• D. Conditioned reinforcer

Answer: (A)

A reinforcer is the stimulus delivered immediately after a response that makes the same response more likely to occur again in the future. The reinforcing effect is the process that strengthens behavior, while the reinforcer is the actual consequence that produces that strengthening. It can be positive reinforcement (adding something desirable, like praise or a treat) or negative reinforcement (removing something aversive, like turning off a loud noise). Whether the stimulus is a primary (unconditioned) reinforcer or a learned (conditioned) reinforcer doesn’t change the basic idea: it’s the consequence that increases future frequency of the behavior.