Continuous vs. Partial Reward Schedule

by Hassan Issa Moussa Ph.D., P.Eng., CMBE, FDW, Canada Educational Agent

A?reward schedule?and a?partial reward schedule?are terms used in behaviour psychology, including marketing, especially in reinforcing conditioning, to describe how rewards (or reinforcements) are delivered for specific behaviour.

Here is my understanding of these two concepts:

Reward Schedule

by definition, a reward schedule is any structured plan for delivering reinforcement following a behaviour.

• Continuous Reward Schedule: Rewards are given every time a desired behaviour occurs.

Example: Give a dog a treat every time it sits on command or give a customer a free Timbit whenever they buy a coffee.

This type of reward is?advantageous?if the intention is to teach a new behaviour or a habit because the connection between the behaviour and the reward is clear (Pavlov dog experiment).

However, this reward approach is disadvantageous since the behaviour may stop quickly if the rewards stop, leading to low resistance to extinction.

Partial Reward Schedule

Also known as Intermittent Reinforcement, it is a type of reward schedule where rewards are given only at some point when the desired behaviour occurs.

There are several types of partial reward schedules:

1. Fixed Ratio: Reinforcement is given after a set number of responses. For example, a coffee shop offers a free drink after every 10 purchases.
2. Variable Ratio: Reinforcement is given after an unpredictable number of responses. For example, slot machines pay after a random number of pulls.
3. Fixed Interval: Reinforcement is given after a fixed amount of time if the behaviour occurs. For example, a worker gets paid every two weeks, regardless of daily performance.
4. Variable Interval: Reinforcement is given after varying time intervals if the behaviour occurs. For example, checking your email might sometimes yield a critical message, but you don't know when.

Continuous vs. Partial Reward Schedule

The key message:

• Continuous schedules are excellent for teaching behaviours.
• Partial schedules are more effective for maintaining behaviours over time, as they create stronger resistance to extinction.

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