Question

Your dog has learned to consistently come to you on command. What form of reinforcement is best to prevent extinction of this behaviour?

Select one:
a. continuous reinforcement
b. full-reward reinforcement
c. partial reinforcement
d. consistent reinforcement

Answer 1

To prevent extinction, the best form of reinforcement is partial reinforcement. This means that sometimes you reward your dog for coming to you, and other times you do not.

Step-by-step explanation:

To prevent extinction of the behavior of your dog consistently coming to you on command, the best form of reinforcement is partial reinforcement. In partial reinforcement, the person or animal does not receive reinforcement every time they perform the desired behavior. This means that sometimes you reward your dog for coming to you, and other times you do not.

By using partial reinforcement, your dog will be less likely to become reliant on receiving a reward every single time they come to you. This reduces the likelihood of the behavior becoming extinct if reinforcement is withheld. Partial reinforcement schedules can be either fixed or variable, and based on interval or ratio.