Final answer:
Rob and Evan's disagreement is moot because continuous reinforcement and an FR-1 schedule both involve providing a reward for every instance of the desired behavior. While their methods are the same and effective for teaching the behavior initially, if they wanted to maintain the behavior long-term, they should consider transitioning to a partial reinforcement schedule.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the case of Rob and Evan who wish to train their cat, both continuous reinforcement and a Fixed Ratio 1 (FR-1) schedule represent methods of conditioning behavior through reinforcement. Continuous reinforcement involves providing a reward after every desired behavior, which can lead to faster learning but is less resistant to extinction once the reinforcement stops. On the other hand, an FR-1 schedule is a type of fixed ratio schedule where a reward is provided after every single instance of the desired behavior, essentially mirroring continuous reinforcement. In this context, FR-1 and continuous reinforcement are effectively the same, as both Rob and Evan suggest giving the cat a reward every time it performs the desired behavior. Reinforcement schedules play a vital role in how quickly and robustly a behavior is learned and maintained. While continuous reinforcement is effective for establishing new behaviors, partial or intermittent reinforcement schedules, like fixed interval (FI), variable interval (VI), fixed ratio (FR), and variable ratio (VR) schedules, are better for maintaining behaviors because they lead to behaviors that are more resistant to extinction. Given these considerations, neither Rob nor Evan is more correct since their approaches are the same. However, for long-term maintenance of the trained behavior, a transition to a partial reinforcement schedule might be more effective once the behavior is well-established.