Behavior AcquisitionDifficulty 2/5
A learner has earned a token after every correct response for two weeks and accuracy is stable at 95%. The supervisor updates the plan. Which change is most consistent with moving toward maintenance?
- AThin the schedule so tokens follow some, not all, correct responses
- BSwitch to punishing incorrect responses
- CStop all reinforcement immediately and record whether the skill persists for two weeks
- DKeep delivering a token after every response but double the size of each token exchange
Show answer and rationale
Correct: A. Maintenance procedures thin reinforcement from continuous to intermittent so the skill persists under natural conditions. Abrupt removal risks extinction; increasing magnitude keeps a continuous schedule.
- D — Magnitude changes do not thin the schedule.
- B — Punishment is not a maintenance strategy.
- C — Abrupt removal of reinforcement is extinction, not maintenance.