Which concept refers to the extent to which a learner continues to perform the target behavior after the intervention has been terminated?

• A. SPONTANEOUS RECOVERY
• B. MAINTENANCE
• C. SHAPING
• D. RULE GOVERNED BEHAVIOR

Answer: (B)

Maintenance is the extent to which a learner continues to perform the target behavior after the intervention has ended. This concept captures how durable the behavior change is when prompts or reinforcement are removed, showing whether the behavior persists over time in the same or similar settings. For example, after training a child to request help, if they continue to request help later without ongoing coaching or reinforcement, that demonstrates maintenance.

Spontaneous recovery refers to the reappearance of a previously extinguished behavior after some time, which is about reemergence rather than ongoing persistence after the program ends. Shaping is the process of reinforcing successive approximations to a desired target behavior, not about how long the behavior lasts once intervention stops. Rule-governed behavior is behavior controlled by verbally stated rules rather than direct contingencies, which again addresses different control over behavior rather than maintenance.