"Reinforcement" in behavior theory.
Reinforcement is a functional job any stimulus can fill if you control its parameters.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Schoenfeld (1995) wrote a theory paper. The author asked, "What makes something a reinforcer?"
Instead of listing magic items, the paper says any stimulus can reinforce if you control its size, timing, and schedule. Reinforcer is a job description, not a birthright.
What they found
The paper found no special class of "reinforcer stimuli." A bubble pop, a dollar, or a nod works only when the parameters fit the learner and the moment.
Function beats form. If the consequence raises future behavior, it is reinforcement—no matter what it looks like.
How this fits with other research
Burgio et al. (1991) warned that no one agrees on how close in time a consequence must be. Schoenfeld (1995) answers: stop hunting for the magic gap; adjust the whole parameter set instead.
Doughty et al. (2002) showed bigger food pellets made rats respond faster on DRL schedules, wrecking the goal. Their data prove N’s point: magnitude is one parameter you must tune.
De Houwer et al. (2024) later bridged cognitive and functional views. They echo N’s stance—describe what consequences do, not what they "are."
Together these papers move us from asking "Is this a reinforcer?" to asking "Under what conditions does it reinforce?"
Why it matters
Stop hunting for the perfect toy or snack. Test, measure, and tweak intensity, timing, and schedule right in session. When a reinforcer stops working, adjust the parameters before you swap the item.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
In its Pavlovian context, "reinforcement" was actually a descriptive term for the functional relation between an unconditional and a conditional stimulus. When it was adopted into operant conditioning, "reinforcement" became the central concept and the key operation, but with new qualifications, new referents, and new expectations. Some behavior theorists believed that "reinforcers" comprise a special and limited class of stimuli or events, and they speculated about what the essential "nature of reinforcement" might be. It is now known that any stimulus can serve a reinforcing function, with due recognition of such parameters as subject species characteristics, stimulus intensity, sensory modality, and schedule of application. This paper comments on these developments from the stand-point of reflex behavior theory.
The Behavior analyst, 1995 · doi:10.1007/BF03392705