Conditioned reinforcer
A stimulus that was once neutral and became reinforcing because it was paired with unconditioned reinforcers or other established reinforcers; also called a secondary or learned reinforcer.
A conditioned reinforcer is something that strengthens behavior only because of a person's learning history. Praise, high-fives, stickers, tokens, check marks and money are not reinforcing at birth. They become reinforcing after being repeatedly paired with things that already are, such as food, comfort or favorite activities.
Conditioned reinforcers are very useful in teaching. They can be delivered instantly, they are easy to carry, they interrupt instruction less than food or toys, and they let an RBT bridge the delay before a bigger reinforcer is available. Token economies depend on tokens working as conditioned reinforcers.
Their effect depends on continued pairing. If tokens are never exchanged for backup reinforcers, or praise is never followed by anything the learner values, they can lose their power. RBTs establish and maintain conditioned reinforcers by following the plan's pairing procedure, for example saying "Great job!" right before handing over a preferred item.
Not every learner responds to the same conditioned reinforcers. Praise may not work for a young child at first and may need to be built through pairing; that is why the RBT Test Content Outline lists establishing conditioned reinforcers as a skill an RBT implements.
Example and non-example
| Example | A child initially shows no interest in stickers. The RBT, following the plan, gives a sticker immediately before each turn with bubbles. After several sessions, the child works to earn stickers on their own. |
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| Non-example | Giving a hungry child a cracker for a correct response uses food, an unconditioned reinforcer, not a conditioned one. |
Don't confuse it with
| Unconditioned reinforcer | An unconditioned reinforcer works without any learning history; a conditioned reinforcer works only after pairing. |
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| Generalized conditioned reinforcer | A generalized conditioned reinforcer is a conditioned reinforcer paired with many different reinforcers, so it is less affected by any one motivating operation. |
Test yourself
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Question 1What is a conditioned reinforcer?
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C: A stimulus that reinforces because it has been paired with other reinforcers. A conditioned (secondary) reinforcer is a stimulus that was once neutral and became a reinforcer through pairing with one or more existing reinforcers. Praise, tokens and money are common examples.
- A: A stimulus that reinforces without any learning history is an unconditioned reinforcer.
- B: A stimulus that signals reinforcement is not available is an S-delta.
- D: Delivering a stimulus on a time schedule regardless of behavior describes noncontingent reinforcement.
Task C.2 · 40-hour curriculum section E
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Question 2Which of these is an unconditioned reinforcer?
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C: Water for a client who is thirsty. Unconditioned (primary) reinforcers, such as food, water and warmth, are effective without any learning history, although their value still depends on motivating operations such as thirst.
- A: Praise gains its value through a history of pairing with other reinforcers, so it is a conditioned reinforcer.
- B: Stickers become reinforcers through learning, so they are conditioned reinforcers.
- D: Tokens gain their value by being exchanged for backup reinforcers, so they are conditioned reinforcers.
Task C.2 · 40-hour curriculum section E
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Question 3Which of these is a conditioned reinforcer?
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B: A gold star on a progress chart. A gold star has no value on its own; it becomes a reinforcer through a history of being paired with other reinforcers. That makes it a conditioned reinforcer.
- A: Food for a hungry person is an unconditioned reinforcer; it needs no learning history.
- C: Warmth for a cold person is an unconditioned reinforcer.
- D: Water for a thirsty person is an unconditioned reinforcer.
Task C.2 · 40-hour curriculum section E
Answer every question to see your score.
On the RBT exam
This term belongs to task C.2 Conditioned reinforcers in content area C, Behavior Acquisition, which is 19 of the 75 scored questions.