What principle involves reinforcing a behavior only some of the time?

Intermittent reinforcement is a principle in behavioral psychology where a behavior is reinforced only on a partial or inconsistent basis rather than every time it occurs. This type of reinforcement schedule can make behaviors more resistant to extinction, as individuals may continue to perform the behavior even when the reinforcement is not consistently provided. For example, if a child receives praise or a reward only sometimes for completing their chores, they may be more motivated to continue the behavior, believing that the reinforcement could occur at any time.

The other options do not relate to the specific concept of reinforcing behavior on a partial schedule. Light physical prompt pertains to gently guiding an individual towards the desired behavior, learning refers to the overall process of acquiring information or skills, and ignoring involves not responding to a behavior in order to reduce its occurrence. These concepts do not encapsulate the idea of intermittent reinforcement, where the emphasis is on providing reinforcement sporadically rather than consistently.