Which type uses verbal cues like Good and No and has the power to reinforce or punish prior behavior?

• A. Secondary Reinforcement
• B. Primary Reinforcement
• C. Inducive Training
• D. Compulsion Training

Answer: (A)

Verbal cues like “Good” and “No” become reinforcing signals through association with primary rewards. They gain value because they predict or accompany outcomes that satisfy needs (food, play, relief from a bad stimulus). When you say “Good” after a correct behavior, the dog learns that the behavior leads to a positive outcome, so that behavior becomes more likely. When you use “No,” the cue signals that the undesired behavior won’t be rewarded, helping to suppress or punish the behavior and guiding future actions. This power to influence behavior without being the primary reward themselves is the essence of secondary (conditioned) reinforcement. Primary reinforcement would be the actual rewards like food or play, not the verbal cue itself, and the other options don’t describe this signaling, reinforcing role.