Continuous reinforcement is when a reward is given every time a desired behavior occurs, while partial reinforcement is given on an irregular schedule. Reinforcement increases the likelihood of repeating behavior, while punishment decreases it. Positive reinforcement involves introducing a pleasant stimulus, while negative reinforcement involves taking away a negative stimulus. Continuous reinforcement is used to establish basic rules, and can be used on both animals and people.
In operant conditioning, continuous reinforcement is reinforcement that occurs whenever the desired behavior occurs. This is in contrast to a partial reinforcement schedule, where reinforcement is sometimes, but not always, provided on a schedule that can vary in irregularity. Typically, continuous reinforcement is used at an early stage of operant conditioning, when the goal is to familiarize the conditioned organism with the basic rules of the situation. Continuous reinforcement must be delivered in a timely and consistent manner to work.
Reinforcement is a technique designed to increase the likelihood of repeating the behavior, in contrast to punishment, where the goal is to decrease the likelihood of repeating the behavior. In positive reinforcement, a pleasant stimulus is introduced into the situation as a reward, whereas in negative reinforcement, a negative stimulus is taken away as a reward. While negative reinforcement may sound strangely like punishment, it’s important to note that instead of punishing the behavior by introducing a negative stimulus, it’s rewarding behavior by taking away the unpleasant stimulus.
A classic example of positive reinforcement is food. Organisms, from mice to dolphins, love to eat special treats and will quickly learn to associate a desired behavior with a snack. The downside to using food for positive reinforcement is that an organism can grow full before a session is over. For this reason, people sometimes prefer to use what is known as a secondary or conditioned reinforcer, something that an organism has been conditioned to view as positive. For example, the phrase “good dog” by itself is not a reinforcer, but it becomes so when a dog is conditioned to associate the phrase with food or physical attention. When an organism is in a continuous reinforcement program, it receives a reward in the form of primary or secondary reinforcer whenever it exhibits a desired behavior.
One of the most commonly used examples of negative reinforcement comes from laboratory experiments in which animals are shocked until they exhibit a desired behavior, such as pressing a button. In a conditioned form of negative reinforcement, a tone sounds before the shock occurs, with the animal learning to associate the tone with the shock. The animal may choose to press the button before the shock occurs, learning to avoid shock by pressing the button first. Negative reinforcement is used in escape and avoidance conditioning, and occasionally by frustrated parents, as in “clean your room and I’ll stop nagging.”
The Continuous Reinforcement Program is used to establish basic ground rules so that the organism being conditioned understands what is happening and why. While animals have been used as examples in this article, operant conditioning can also be used on people. For example, many parents use this method to teach their children positive behaviors, later switching to a partial reinforcement schedule so children don’t learn to expect praise with every positive behavior. As in the annoying example, parents can also use conditioned negative reinforcement, with children learning to do something after being asked once to avoid being subjected to constant reminders.
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