B-7: Identify and distinguish among unconditioned, conditioned, and generalized reinforcers ©
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Unconditioned reinforcers are also sometimes called “primary” because they are shared by a whole species with no learning history required. They remain reinforcers throughout the lifespan. Basically, unconditioned reinforcers are things that we need in order to not die (or, in the case of sex, not die out as a species).
Things that become reinforcers based on learning history are sometimes called “secondary.” Their value can often fluctuate significantly across a person’s lifespan.
Unconditioned Reinforcer
Definition: Reinforcement that works without prior learning (in other words, living things come into the world with a need for these things “built in” to their biology).
Examples of unconditioned reinforcers: Food and water, regulated body and environmental temperatures, sexual stimulation.
Why it matters: Unconditioned reinforcers are part of every living things’ evolutionary heritage. In order for a species to survive, they must have access to unconditioned reinforcers. A strong motivation for these things is therefore crucial! When we are deprived of them, our bodies send up strong aversive messages about what needs to change (example: hunger, cold, etc).
Conditioned Reinforcer
Definition: A reinforcer which becomes reinforcing only after a learning history.
Example in everyday context: Access to a car or other vehicle functions as reinforcement for many people, due to their learning history of accessing the car (enjoying the ride, going to places with other kids of reinforcement, and/or escaping an aversive place).
Example in clinical context: A client enjoys completing puzzles in their free time. They were originally taught to use the puzzle by their mother, whose attention was highly valued by the client. Access to the puzzle serves as a conditioned reinforcer for this client.
Example in supervision context: Individuals undergoing supervision engage in behavior to access behavior analytic books, flashcards, and other study materials. These resources do not have inherent vale to all humans!
Why it matters: Conditioned reinforcers are not directly driven by any biological need of an organism, therefore not every organism shares the same conditioned reinforcers. Learning history and cultural norms influence what a person experiences as a conditioned reinforcer in any given context, and this will likely fluctuate over time. Behavior analysts should never assume that what they experience as a conditioned reinforcer is the same as what their clients experience as a conditioned reinforcer.
Generalized Reinforcer
Definition: A consequence that has been paired with access to many different reinforcing consequences until it took on reinforcing properties itself.
Example in everyday context: Money is an example of a generalized (you can buy many reinforcing things) conditioned (you were not born with a biological need for money) reinforcer (access to money increases behavior in the future under similar circumstances).
Example in clinical context: Token or point systems, when implemented with fidelity, pair the tokens or points with access to a wide array of “back-up” primary and secondary reinforcers (e.g., free time, preferred items/activities, certain privileges).
Example in supervision/consultation context: Many people have a learning history of praise from authority figures being paired with many other kinds of reinforcement, both conditioned and unconditioned (raises, good grades, reduction in aversive private events, etc). For these individuals, praise from a supervisor could function as a generalized reinforcer.
Why it matters: Generalized reinforcers are less susceptible to satiation because you can likely access something you’re motivated for using them, regardless of your motivational state. (For example, money is hard to satiate on because you can buy so many different things with it.) Therefore, generalized reinforcers tend to have reinforcing effects on behavior most of the time, and don’t require any particular establishing operation to establish their value.