What is intermittent reinforcement?

Intermittent reinforcement is a powerful schedule for dopamine release that keeps a person engaged in an activity. Andrew Huberman explains that random intermittent rewards, similar to what is used in gambling, are highly effective at maintaining motivation over time. Intermittent reinforcement induces a state where the exact timing and expectation of the reward are unpredictable, making it very compelling, as this randomness elicits larger dopamine responses when rewards are received than what would occur with a predictable schedule 1.

For instance, if someone is engaged in a task and gets rewarded only on random occasions rather than every time, the motivation and drive to continue with the task increases significantly 2. This principle is based on the idea of reward prediction error where dopamine levels rise higher when a reward is unexpected compared to when it is anticipated 3.

Using intermittent reinforcement effectively involves randomizing the occasions when one self-rewards or receives external rewards, to keep the dopamine system engaged without making it expectant of a reward at specific times or after specific actions 4.