In behavioral conditioning, what does "thinning" a schedule refer to?

Thinning a schedule in behavioral conditioning refers to the process of gradually increasing the requirement for reinforcement. This technique is often employed in behavior modification and training to encourage maintenance of behavior over time. For instance, when a subject is first reinforced for every correct response, this is known as continuous reinforcement. As the desired behavior becomes more established, the reinforcement schedule can be altered to require more responses before reinforcement is provided. By doing this, the individual learns to maintain the behavior without expecting immediate reinforcement, which can strengthen the learned behavior and promote persistence.

The concept of thinning is critical because it shifts from a simple and immediate reward system to a more complex schedule that supports long-term behavior sustainability. This approach helps prevent dependency on frequent reinforcement and encourages self-regulation and consistency in performance.