University of Central Florida (UCF) PSY2012 General Psychology Practice Exam 2

Reinforcement is a fundamental concept in operant conditioning, and it refers to any stimulus that strengthens or increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. Positive stimuli, in particular, are something added following a behavior that encourages its continuation. This could include rewards such as praise, money, or other desirable outcomes that follow a specific action, thereby reinforcing that behavior.

Positive reinforcement works by presenting a motivating item or event to the subject after the desired behavior is exhibited. For example, if a student studies hard and receives high grades as a result, the high grades serve as positive reinforcement, making it more likely that the student will continue to study hard in the future. This creates a favorable outcome that encourages repeated behavior.

In contrast, the other types of stimuli mentioned do not serve the same purpose in reinforcement. Negative stimuli would typically involve the removal of an unpleasant factor to reinforce a behavior; neutral stimuli would not have a significant impact on increasing behavior; and unconditioned stimuli refer primarily to responses that occur naturally without any learning having taken place.