What is true about intermittent schedules of reinforcement?

• A. They do not affect behavior persistence
• B. They lead to immediate behavior extinction
• C. They can cause continued responding even without reinforcers
• D. They are never effective in the long term

Answer: (C)

Intermittent schedules of reinforcement are known for their effectiveness in maintaining behavior over time. When reinforcement is delivered on an intermittent basis—meaning not every occurrence of the desired behavior is reinforced—it tends to create a stronger and more persistent response. This is because individuals often continue to respond in the absence of reinforcement, as they may still expect that a reward might be forthcoming at some point. This phenomenon is especially evident in situations like gambling, where players continue to engage despite not winning every time, driven by the intermittent nature of the rewards.

The persistence of responding under intermittent reinforcement corresponds to the well-established behavioral principle that behaviors reinforced intermittently are typically more resistant to extinction than those reinforced continuously. This explains why individuals may continue to engage in behaviors even after reinforcement has been removed, demonstrating that these schedules can sustain behavior over extended periods.

In contrast, the other options inaccurately describe characteristics of intermittent schedules: they do affect behavior persistence, do not lead to immediate extinction, and can indeed be effective in the long term, particularly when aiming to promote durable behavioral changes.