Which item is best described as 'Anything that helps to increase a behavior'?

• A. Punisher
• B. Neutral Stimulus
• C. Extinction
• D. Reinforcer

Answer: (D)

When you want a behavior to happen more often, you use a reinforcer. A reinforcer is anything that follows a behavior and makes that behavior more likely to occur again. It can be something the dog wants, like a treat, a game, or praise, or it can be the removal of something aversive after the behavior, such as ending a mildly uncomfortable cue. The essential idea is that the consequence increases the chance the behavior will be repeated.

A punisher, in contrast, is something that decreases the likelihood of a behavior by adding something aversive or taking away something the dog likes. A neutral stimulus doesn’t change the behavior on its own, and extinction involves withholding reinforcement, which over time reduces a behavior. So the description “Anything that helps to increase a behavior” points squarely to a reinforcer.