Final answer:
Money, status, and praise are examples of secondary reinforcers, which have no inherent value but become valuable through association with primary reinforcers, fulfilling needs or providing pleasure indirectly.
Step-by-step explanation:
The types of reinforcers mentioned in the question, specifically money, status, and praise by others, are examples of secondary reinforcers. Secondary reinforcers, such as praise or money, have no inherent value but become valuable through their association with primary reinforcers, which are inherently satisfying (e.g., food, water, shelter). For example, money only becomes reinforcing because it can be used to buy primary reinforcers or other secondary reinforcers. Similarly, praise is often linked with affection, a primary reinforcer.Differences Between Reinforcer Types
Primary reinforcers are essentially reinforcing by themselves without any learning or association needed because they satisfy basic biological needs. In contrast, secondary reinforcers acquire their reinforcing properties through learning and association with primary reinforcers. For instance, while food is a primary reinforcer as it satisfies hunger, money is a secondary reinforcer because it can be used to acquire food.Operant Conditioning
In the context of operant conditioning, which is where the terms primary and secondary reinforcers come from, reinforcing a behavior increases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again. In this context, the concept of a reinforcer is very different from punishment. Punishment aims to reduce the frequency of a behavior, whereas reinforcement aims to increase it, whether through positive or negative means. This is an important distinction to understand when analyzing how certain outcomes can influence behaviors.