Final answer:
The conditioned reinforcer strengthens the response that produced it, enhancing learning in operant conditioning by establishing an association between behavior and outcome, especially when the primary reinforcer is delayed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The conditioned reinforcer, when delivered immediately after the desired behavior, strengthens the response that produced the reinforcer. This is an essential aspect of the operant conditioning process, which involves learning through consequences. A conditioned reinforcer, such as money or gold stars, is a type of secondary reinforcer that has no inherent value on its own but gains reinforcing power through its association with primary reinforcers (e.g., food, water).
In the context of conditioning, when the desired behavior occurs, the immediate presentation of a conditioned reinforcer helps the individual understand the contingency between their response and the access to a backup reinforcer, even if the latter is delayed. Continuously rewarding a behavior every time it occurs, known as continuous reinforcement, is the most efficient way to establish a new behavior. In contrast, partial reinforcement schedules, such as fixed ratio or fixed interval, may take longer but lead to behaviors that are more resistant to extinction.