A stimulus that strengthens a response because it has been paired with reinforcement is called what?

• A. Unconditioned Reinforcer
• B. Conditioned Punisher
• C. Conditioned Reinforcer
• D. Conditioned Stimulus

Answer: (C)

A stimulus that strengthens a response because it has been paired with reinforcement is a conditioned reinforcer. Its reinforcing value is learned, not innate, because it earns its power through association with primary reinforcers (like food, warmth) or with other reinforcers. Tokens, praise, and money are classic examples: they become effective reinforcers because they reliably lead to access to something desirable. This differs from an unconditioned reinforcer, which directly satisfies biological needs, and from a conditioned stimulus, which signals that reinforcement is available but isn’t itself reinforcing. A conditioned punisher, meanwhile, has been paired with punishment to decrease a behavior. So the described stimulus fits the idea of a conditioned reinforcer.