Primary reinforcement is intrinsic, it does not have to be taught. While some children do not yet find much value in hugs or praise, and consequently are not yet willing to work too strenuously to gain them, most children have a favorite snack or treat that they might be willing to do a little something for. Also, primary reinforcement will not extinguish, it will always remain reinforcing. One will always desire food or water. Primary reinforcement has some disadvantages however.
Primary reinforcers are subject to satiation after a relatively short period of time.
And primary reinforcement is not especially representative of the natural environment. There are few situations in life where one is given a goldfish cracker every time he uses the right phrase to describe a picture. These are intrinsically neutral stimuli that, through their association with primary, or other secondary reinforcing stimuli, have become reinforcing. There are two types of secondary reinforcement. The first type consists of praise, smiles, a sense of accomplishment, those reinforcers that are somewhat social in origin.