What are schedules of reinforcement?

Schedules of reinforcement refer to the specific rules or patterns that determine how and when reinforcement is provided following a desired behavior. In behavioral psychology, particularly in applied behavior analysis, reinforcement is a tool used to increase the likelihood of a behavior occurring in the future. By using different schedules of reinforcement, practitioners can create various rates and patterns of reinforcement delivery, which can impact how quickly a behavior is learned and how resistant it becomes to extinction.

The concept encompasses both continuous reinforcement, where a behavior is reinforced every time it occurs, and intermittent reinforcement, where reinforcement is given only after certain instances of the behavior, which might follow specific patterns such as fixed intervals, variable intervals, fixed ratios, or variable ratios. This versatility allows practitioners to strategically encourage and maintain behaviors over time, making it a crucial component of behavior modification techniques.