What is the difference between a reinforcer and a reward?
“Reinforcer” is a technical term; “reward” is an everyday term. A reinforcer is any event, which when it follows a response, increases that response in the future. A reward is an everyday term for a reinforcer, but is less specific. Sometimes things are called rewards even if they have no effect on behavior. Sometimes a promise is a called a reward, such as when a reward is offered for the return of a lost dog. No great harm is created using the term reward for reinforcer, but it is important to remember that if the reward has no effect on behavior, it is not really a reward at all.
