Learning Objective

Understand how continuous and intermittent (partial) reinforcement schedules influence the rate of learning, resistance to extinction, and real-world behavioral outcomes.

Continuous Reinforcement

Definition: Every response is followed by reinforcement.

• Learning characteristics:
  • Fast acquisition — behavior is learned quickly.
  • Fast extinction — behavior disappears rapidly once reinforcement stops.
• Example: A dog receives a treat every time it sits on command.

Intermittent (Partial) Reinforcement

Definition: Only some responses receive reinforcement.

• Learning characteristics:
  • Slower acquisition — behavior develops more gradually.
  • Greater resistance to extinction — behavior persists even without reinforcement.
• Example: A gambler continues playing because rewards occur unpredictably.

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Clinical Example: Tantrums

A child frequently throws tantrums. Parents initially try to extinguish the behavior by ignoring it. However, when parents eventually give in and respond:

• They accidentally provide intermittent reinforcement.
• This strengthens the tantrum behavior.
• The tantrum becomes harder to extinguish in the future.

This illustrates why inconsistent reinforcement increases the persistence of undesired behavior.

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