What is a problem with a continuous reinforcement schedule?

• A. It rewards good responses with poor responses, so the dog has no motive to improve. Also difficult to phase out the food rewards.
• B. It helps the dog learn faster
• C. It eliminates the need for any training plan.
• D. It prevents dependence on food rewards.

Answer: (A)

Continuous reinforcement makes every correct behavior get a reward, so the dog learns quickly. But the trade-off is that the dog can become dependent on rewards and expects them every time; when you reduce or stop rewards, the behavior tends to drop off quickly. This makes phasing out food rewards difficult, because the pattern has been built around always receiving reinforcement for each correct response. So while continuous reinforcement speeds learning, its major downside is the ease of extinction and the challenge of fading rewards.