FIGURE 5.3Schedules of ReinforcementContinuous reinforcement is ideal for establishing new behaviors. But once learned, a behavior is best maintained with only partial reinforcement. Partial reinforcement can be delivered according to four different schedules of reinforcement, as shown here. Starbursts indicate that reinforcement has been given. Notice that fixed-interval and fixed-ratio graphs demonstrate a characteristic dip in the reinforced behavior after each reinforcement, as the learner seems to anticipate that reinforcement won’t follow immediately.