What term describes reinforcement that is available only for a finite time after the lapse of an interval, such that if the target response does not occur within the time limit, reinforcement is withheld and a new interval begins?

• A. Interobserver Agreement
• B. IRT
• C. Limited Hold
• D. Momentary Time Sampling

Answer: (C)

Limited hold describes reinforcement that is available only for a finite period after an interval ends. After the interval elapses, there is a short window during which a response will still be reinforced; if the target response doesn’t occur within that window, the opportunity ends and a new interval begins. This setup lets you control how long reinforcement can be earned after the interval, which is useful for shaping and maintaining behavior under interval schedules. For example, on a fixed-interval schedule with a limited hold, reinforcement becomes available at the end of the interval and remains available only for the specified hold time; a response during that hold earns reinforcement, while a late or absent response resets the interval. In contrast, interobserver agreement is about reliability between observers; the term IRT commonly refers to interresponse time (the time between responses) and does not describe a reinforcement availability window; momentary time sampling is a data collection method that records behavior at specific moments, not the timing of reinforcement opportunities.