Which term denotes reinforcement that occurs only after a specified response?

Which term denotes reinforcement that occurs only after a specified response?

• A. Socially mediated reinforcement
• B. Contiguity
• C. Automatic reinforcement
• D. Contingency

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is the dependence of a reinforcer on a specific behavior. When reinforcement is delivered only after a particular response, that relationship is called contingency—the consequence occurs only if the target action is performed. This contingency is what links the behavior to the outcome and strengthens the behavior through a defined rule: perform the response, receive the reinforcement. To distinguish from other ideas, consider contiguity, which is about how close in time the reinforcement is to the response, but not about whether the reinforcement depends on performing the response. Socially mediated reinforcement involves another person delivering the reinforcement, and automatic reinforcement refers to reinforcement that the individual experiences from the behavior itself, regardless of others’ actions. None of these capture the essential idea of a required behavioral trigger for reinforcement as clearly as contingency does.

The idea being tested is the dependence of a reinforcer on a specific behavior. When reinforcement is delivered only after a particular response, that relationship is called contingency—the consequence occurs only if the target action is performed. This contingency is what links the behavior to the outcome and strengthens the behavior through a defined rule: perform the response, receive the reinforcement.

To distinguish from other ideas, consider contiguity, which is about how close in time the reinforcement is to the response, but not about whether the reinforcement depends on performing the response. Socially mediated reinforcement involves another person delivering the reinforcement, and automatic reinforcement refers to reinforcement that the individual experiences from the behavior itself, regardless of others’ actions. None of these capture the essential idea of a required behavioral trigger for reinforcement as clearly as contingency does.