A word of praise is to a soothing back rub as ________ is to ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A word of praise and a soothing back rub are both examples of primary reinforcers, because they directly satisfy an individual's physiological or psychological needs. In contrast, a conditioned reinforcer is a stimulus that has acquired its reinforcing properties through association with other reinforcers. Therefore, a conditioned reinforcer may be something like a paycheck, which only has value because it is associated with the ability to purchase primary reinforcers like food and shelter. Therefore, the most appropriate analogy for a word of praise and a soothing back rub would be a primary reinforcer (soothing back rub) and a conditioned reinforcer (word of praise).

A Word of Praise Is to a Soothing Back Rub