AP Psychology
Primary reinforcement refers to a type of reinforcement that satisfies a basic biological need or desire, such as food, water, or shelter. It directly fulfills our innate needs and has intrinsic value.
Primary reinforcement involves an innate stimulus that satisfies a biological need, crucial in behaviorist theories like Skinner's operant conditioning, where it directly strengthens desired behavior.
Skinner's experiments with rats and pigeons in the Skinner Box demonstrated how primary reinforcers (like food) increased the frequency of behaviors through positive reinforcement.