What is the effect of offering a shorter duration of reinforcement according to the example of a child being rewarded for eating veggies?

The concept of reinforcement duration plays a crucial role in shaping behavior, especially in the context of operant conditioning. When a child is rewarded for completing a task, such as eating vegetables, the duration of that reinforcement can significantly impact their motivation and likelihood to engage in the desired behavior.

Offering a shorter duration of reinforcement can lead to the child being less likely to complete the task of finishing their vegetables. This is because a shorter reinforcement duration may not provide enough incentive or motivation for the child to invest the effort required to eat all of their veggies. If the reward feels less attainable or if it is perceived as being non-committal, the child's willingness to engage in the behavior may wane, leading them to abandon the task.

The understanding here lies in the psychological principles surrounding reinforcement: longer or more meaningful reinforcement typically generates a stronger motivation to pursue the behavior. A sudden cutoff or minimal reinforcement can create discouragement and lower the likelihood of a successful outcome, such as finishing a plate of vegetables.