The most difficult intermittent schedule to extinguish is:

The most difficult intermittent schedule to extinguish is:

• A. Fixed ratio
• B. Variable ratio
• C. Fixed interval
• D. Variable interval

Answer: (B)

Intermittent reinforcement schedules shape how stubborn a learned behavior becomes when rewards stop. A variable ratio schedule reinforces after an unpredictable number of responses, with the average around some target but never known in advance. That unpredictability makes the behavior unusually persistent: each response has a chance of reward, so the learner keeps responding in hopes of hitting the next reinforcement. Because the reward pattern isn’t predictable, there isn’t a clear signal that the reinforcement has ended, so extinction unfolds very slowly. A common real‑world illustration is gambling machines, which payout after a random number of plays; people keep pulling the lever even after occasional losses, because the next win could be just around the corner. Other intermittent schedules lack that same level of unpredictability. With a fixed ratio, reinforcement comes after a set number of responses, so the pattern is more predictable; when reinforcement stops, the organized response bursts diminish more quickly as the learner notices the change. With fixed or variable intervals, reinforcement is tied to time rather than a precise count of responses, producing characteristic response patterns that are less resistant to extinction than the high, steady rate produced by a variable ratio schedule. Because the unpredictable, response-driven reward in a variable ratio setup keeps the behavior going vigorously, it is the most difficult to extinguish.

Intermittent reinforcement schedules shape how stubborn a learned behavior becomes when rewards stop. A variable ratio schedule reinforces after an unpredictable number of responses, with the average around some target but never known in advance. That unpredictability makes the behavior unusually persistent: each response has a chance of reward, so the learner keeps responding in hopes of hitting the next reinforcement. Because the reward pattern isn’t predictable, there isn’t a clear signal that the reinforcement has ended, so extinction unfolds very slowly. A common real‑world illustration is gambling machines, which payout after a random number of plays; people keep pulling the lever even after occasional losses, because the next win could be just around the corner.

Other intermittent schedules lack that same level of unpredictability. With a fixed ratio, reinforcement comes after a set number of responses, so the pattern is more predictable; when reinforcement stops, the organized response bursts diminish more quickly as the learner notices the change. With fixed or variable intervals, reinforcement is tied to time rather than a precise count of responses, producing characteristic response patterns that are less resistant to extinction than the high, steady rate produced by a variable ratio schedule. Because the unpredictable, response-driven reward in a variable ratio setup keeps the behavior going vigorously, it is the most difficult to extinguish.