Question

As a hungry dog runs ever closer toward a bowl of food, the less likely it is to stop running until it reaches the food. This best illustrates that the dog's running behavior is most strongly affected by ________ reinforcers.

Answer 1

Your question is missing the options. I've found the complete question online. It is as follows:

As a hungry dog runs ever closer toward a bowl of  food, the less likely it is to stop running until it  reaches the food. This best illustrates that the dog's  running behavior is most strongly affected by  ________ reinforcers.

a) secondary

b) immediate

c) partial

d) negative

Answer:

This best illustrates that the dog's  running behavior is most strongly affected by  b) immediate reinforcers.

Explanation:

We can reach the conclusion above by elimination. A secondary reinforcement is one associated with a primary one. Suppose you're teaching the dog to sit. When the dog sits, you give it a treat (primary reinforcer) and then say, "Good job!" (secondary reinforcer). That is not the case here.

A partial reinforcer is one given every now and then, that is, not every time the desired behavior happens. That is also not the case.

A negative reinforcer is the removal of something that was already present. Imagine you have made your son do the dishes after he misbehaved. When he behaves properly, you tell him he doesn't have to do the dishes anymore. You didn't give him a reward; you simply removed the punishment. That is negative reinforcement.

Therefore, we are left with immediate reinforcers. The dog has already learned that the bowl contains food, that food will be given to him immediately if he reaches the bowl. That is why he doesn't stop nor doesn't get distracted. He is hungry and wants to end his hunger immediately.