In the context of operant conditioning, what is a consequence that follows a behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior's recurrence called?

In operant conditioning, a consequence that follows a behavior and increases the likelihood of that behavior being repeated is known as a reinforcer. Reinforcers can be positive or negative. Positive reinforcement involves presenting a rewarding stimulus after a desired behavior occurs, which encourages the repetition of that behavior. For example, giving a child praise or a reward for completing their homework reinforces the behavior of doing homework. Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus when the desired behavior occurs, such as using an umbrella to avoid getting wet, which reinforces the behavior of carrying an umbrella.

In contrast, punishment, as another concept in operant conditioning, is aimed at decreasing a behavior rather than increasing it. A stimulus is more generally a change in the environment that can trigger a response, and conditioning refers to the process of learning associations between behaviors and outcomes, but these terms do not specifically denote the action of increasing the likelihood of a behavior through consequences. Thus, a reinforcer is distinctively identified as the consequence that strengthens and promotes the desired behavior to happen again.