ABSTRACT
Human behavior is often regulated by consequences whose effects depend on a history of conditioning. Praise, criticism, good grades, and money are consequences that may strengthen or weaken behavior. Such events acquire these effects as consequences because of the different experiences that people have had throughout their lives. Some people have learned the value of what others say about their actions-others are indifferent. Henry Ford marketed and sold cars because of monetary reinforcement, status, and power, but Mother Teresa took care of the poor for other reasons. In these examples, the effectiveness of a behavioral consequence depends on a personal history of conditioning. A positive reinforcer may be defined as a stimulus or event the delivery of which will increase or maintain the rate of the response upon which it is contingent. The critical component is the influence on response rate, not what exactly the stimulus or event is.
