Final answer:
Partial schedules are more motivating than continuous reinforcement schedules because they do not reinforce every instance of behavior, leading to more robust behavior patterns that are resistant to extinction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to reinforcement schedules in the context of learning and behavior. Specifically, it compares continuous reinforcement schedules, where a behavior is reinforced every time it occurs, to another type of schedule that tends to be more motivating. The correct answer is partial schedules (Option C). Under partial reinforcement, not every instance of the desired behavior is reinforced, hence the reinforcement is intermittent. This approach includes various strategies that can be either fixed or variable, and categorized as interval or ratio schedules:
- Fixed: The number of responses or time between reinforcements is consistent.
- Variable: The number of responses or time between reinforcements varies.
- Interval: The schedule is based on the time between reinforcements.
- Ratio: The schedule is based on the number of responses between reinforcements.
Partial reinforcement is known to create a more robust pattern of behavior that is more resistant to extinction than behavior reinforced continuously.