In operant conditioning, an action that occurs immediately after a particular behavior and influences the likelihood of that behavior being repeated is called a(n):

• A. Reinforcer
• B. Discriminative cue
• C. Punisher
• D. Stimulus

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the key terms in operant conditioning: a 'reinforcer' is any consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, a 'punisher' decreases that likelihood, a 'discriminative cue' signals when a behavior will be reinforced, and a 'stimulus' is any event or object in the environment.
2. Focus on the phrase 'an action that occurs immediately after a particular behavior and influences the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.' This describes a consequence that follows behavior and affects its future occurrence.
3. Recall that in operant conditioning, consequences that increase behavior are called reinforcers, while those that decrease behavior are punishers.
4. Since the question asks for the term describing an action that increases the likelihood of behavior repetition, identify that this matches the definition of a 'reinforcer.'
5. Confirm that 'discriminative cue' and 'stimulus' do not fit because they do not directly follow the behavior as consequences influencing its frequency.