Which term best describes when the reinforcement is contingent on the behavior of another person?

The term that best describes reinforcement that is contingent on the behavior of another person is socially mediated reinforcement. This type of reinforcement involves an individual receiving reinforcement as a direct result of the actions of someone else, such as a teacher, parent, or peer. For example, when a child receives praise for completing a task from a parent, that praise serves as socially mediated reinforcement, as it is contingent on the child's behavior and requires another person to provide it.

In contrast, automatic reinforcement occurs when a behavior is reinforced by internal stimuli without the involvement of another individual, such as the feeling of relief after scratching an itch. Unconditional reinforcement is not a widely recognized term in behavioral analysis; the term you might be looking for could be unconditioned reinforcement, which would refer to natural reinforcers that do not depend on experience or learning, such as food when hungry. Direct reinforcement refers to a scenario where a person experiences the consequences of their behavior without mediation by another, such as self-reinforcement mechanisms. Thus, socially mediated reinforcement is the most accurate term in this context.