Chapter 13: Schedules of Reinforcement

Question 1

Adjunctive Behaviors

Answer 1

Behavior that occurs as a collateral effect of a schedule of periodic reinforcement for other behavior; time filling or interim activities (e.g. doodling, idle, talking, smoking, drinking) that are induced by schedules of reinforcement during times when reinforcement is unlikely to be delivered.

Question 2

Alternative Schedules (alt)

Answer 2

Provides reinforcement when the response requirements of any of two or more simultaneously available component schedules are met.

Question 3

Behavioral Contrast

Answer 3

The phenomenon in which a change in one component of a multiple schedule that increases or decreases the rate of responding on that component is accompanied by a change in the response rate in the opposite direction on the other, unaltered component of the schedule.

Question 4

Chained Schedule (chain)

Answer 4

A schedule of reinforcement in which the response requirements of two or more basic schedules must be met in a specific sequence before reinforcement is delivered;
- a discriminative stimulus is correlated with each component of the schedule.

Question 5

Compound Schedule of Reinforcement

Question 6

Concurrent Schedule (conc)

Answer 6

A schedule of reinforcement in which two or more contingencies of reinforcement (elements) operate independently and simultaneously for two or more behaviors.

Question 7

Conjunctive Schedule (conj)

Answer 7

A schedule of reinforcement that is in effect whenever reinforcement follows the completion of response requirements for two or more schedules of reinforcement.

Question 8

Continuous Reinforcement (CRF)

Answer 8

A schedule of reinforcement that provides reinforcement for each occurrence of the target behavior.

Question 9

Differential Reinforcement of Diminishing Rates (DRD)

Answer 9

A schedule of reinforcement in which reinforcement is provided at the end of a predetermined interval contingent on the number of responses emitted during the interval being greater than a gradually decreasing criterion based on the individual’s performance in previous intervals (e.g. fewer than three responses per 5 minutes, fewer than five responses per 5 minutes, fewer than eight responses per 5 minutes).

Question 10

Differential Reinforcement of High Rates (DRH)

Answer 10

A schedule of reinforcement in which reinforcement is provided at the end of a predetermined interval contingent on the number of responses emitted during the interval being greater than a gradually increasing criterion based on the individual’s performance in previous intervals (e.g. more than three responses per 5 minutes, more than five responses per 5 minutes, more than eight responses per 5 minutes).

Question 11

Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates (DRL)

Answer 11

A schedule of reinforcement in which reinforcement;
- follows each occurrence of the target behavior that is separated from the previous response by a minimum interresponse time.
- in contingent on the number of responses within a period of time not exceeding a predetermined criterion.

Practitioners use DRL schedules to decrease the rate of behaviors that occur too frequently but should be maintained in the learner’s repertoire.

Question 12

Fixed Interval (FI)

Answer 12

A schedule of reinforcement in which reinforcement is delivered for the first response emitted following the passage of a fixed duration of time since the last response was reinforced (e.g. on an FI-3 min schedule, the first response following the passage of 3 minutes is reinforced).

Question 13

Fixed Ratio (FR)

Answer 13

A schedule of reinforcement requiring a fixed number of responses for reinforcement (e.g. an FR 4 schedule of reinforcement follows every fourth response).

Question 14

Intermittent Schedule of Reinforcement (INT)

Answer 14

A contingency of reinforcement in which some, but not all, occurrences of the behavior produce reinforcement.

Question 15

Lag Schedule

Answer 15

A schedule of reinforcement in which reinforcement is contingent on a response being different in some specified way (e.g. different topography) from the previous response or a specified number of previous responses.

Question 16

Limited Hold

Answer 16

A situation in which reinforcement is available only during a finite time following the elapse of an FI or VI interval;
- if the target response does not occur within the time limit, reinforcement is withheld and a new interval begins.

Question 17

Matching Law

Answer 17

The allocation of responses to choices available on concurrent schedules of reinforcement;
- rates of responding across choices are distributed in proportions that match the rates of reinforcement received from each choice alternative.

Question 18

Mixed Schedule of Reinforcement (mix)

Answer 18

A compound schedule of reinforcement consisting of two or more basic schedules of reinforcement (elements) that occur in an alternating, usually random, sequence;
- no discriminative stimuli are correlated with the presence or absence of each element of the schedule, and reinforcement is delivered for meeting the response requirements of the element in effect at any time.

Question 19

Multiple Schedule (mult)

Answer 19

A compound schedule of reinforcement consisting of two or more basic schedules of reinforcement (elements) that occur in an alternating, usually random, sequence;
- a discriminative stimulus is correlated with the presence or absence of each element of the schedule, and reinforcement is delivered for meeting the response requirements of the element in effect at any time.

Question 20

Postreinforcement Pause

Answer 20

The absence of responding for a period of time following reinforcement;
- an effect commonly produced by fixed interval (FI) and fixed ratio (FR) scheduled of reinforcement.

Question 21

Progressive Schedule of Reinforcement

Answer 21

A schedule that systematically thins each successive reinforcement opportunity independent of the individual’s behavior;
- progressive ratio (PR) and progressive interval (PI) schedules are thinned using arithmetic or geometric progressions.

Question 22

Progressive-Ratio (PR) Schedule of Reinforcement

Answer 22

A variation of the fixed ratio (FR) schedule of reinforcement that increases the ratio requirements incrementally within the session;
- PR schedule requirements are changed using
1. arithmetic progressions to add a constant number to each successive ratio
2. geometric progressions to add successively a constant proportion of the proceeding ratio.

Question 23

Ratio Strain

Answer 23

A behavioral effect associated with abrupt increases in ratio requirements when moving from denser to thinner reinforcement schedules;
- common effects include avoidance, aggression, and unpredictable pauses or cessation in responding.

Question 24

Schedule of Reinforcement

Answer 24

A rule specifying the environmental arrangements and response requirements for reinforcement;
- a description of a contingency of a reinforcement.

Question 25

Schedule Thining

Answer 25

Changing the contingency of reinforcement by gradually increasing the response ratio or the extent of the time interval;
- results in a lower rate of reinforcement per response, time, or both.

Question 26

Tandem Schedule (tand)

Answer 26

A schedule of reinforcement identical to the chained schedule except, like the mix schedule, this schedule;
- does not use discriminative stimuli with the elements in the chain.

Question 27

Variable Interval (VI)

Answer 27

A schedule of reinforcement that provides reinforcement for the first correct response following the elapse of variable durations of time occurring in a random or unpredictable order.
- the mean duration of the intervals is used to describe the schedule.

Question 28

Variable Ratio (VR)

Answer 28

A schedule of reinforcement requiring a varying number of responses for reinforcement. The number of responses required varies around a random number;
- the mean number of responses required for reinforcement is used to describe the schedule.