Which type of reinforcement schedule involves only some responses being followed by reinforcement?

The choice that involves only some responses being followed by reinforcement is the intermittent reinforcement schedule. This type of schedule contrasts with continuous reinforcement, where every single response is reinforced.

Intermittent reinforcement can occur in different forms, such as fixed-ratio or variable-ratio schedules, where reinforcement is delivered after a certain number of responses, or fixed-interval and variable-interval schedules, where reinforcement is delivered after specific time periods. These schedules create patterns of reinforcement that can lead to greater persistence of behavior compared to continuous reinforcement, as the unpredictability of reinforcement can keep individuals engaged.

Understanding how intermittent reinforcement operates is critical in fields like behavior analysis, as it helps explain why some behaviors persist even when they are not consistently reinforced. This principle is often leveraged in therapeutic settings or learning environments to encourage desired behaviors in a more sustainable manner.