Which practice involves providing varying reinforcement for a behavior?

Intermittent reinforcement is the practice of providing reinforcement for a behavior inconsistently rather than every time the behavior occurs. This means that a behavior may be reinforced on some occasions and not on others, which can lead to a stronger long-term persistence of the behavior compared to consistent reinforcement. The unpredictability of reinforcement creates a more robust learning scenario, as individuals may continue to perform the behavior in anticipation of receiving reinforcement at some point.

In contrast, continuous reinforcement involves providing reinforcement every time a desired behavior occurs, which is not the same as varying the reinforcement. Positive punishment refers to introducing an aversive consequence following an undesired behavior to decrease its occurrence, and negative reinforcement involves the removal of an aversive stimulus to encourage behavior. Both positive punishment and negative reinforcement focus on changing behavior through consequences rather than the application of varying reinforcement. Therefore, intermittent reinforcement is the correct answer, as it specifically pertains to the variability in providing reinforcement following behavior.