Chapter 6- Schedules of Reinforcement

Question 1

Schedule of Reinforcement:

Answer 1

Rule that determines which occurrence of a response is followed by the reinforcer

Question 2

Ratio Schedules:

Answer 2

• Reinforcement depends only on number of responses organism has to perform
  
  • i.e. food delivered after lever pushed 10 times

Question 3

Continuous Reinforcement (CRF):

Answer 3

• Behaviour reinforced every time

* Responding occurs at steady and moderate rate

Question 4

Partial Reinforcement/ Intermittent Reinforcement:

Answer 4

Situations in which responding is only reinforced some of the time

Question 5

Fixed Ratio Schedule:

Answer 5

• Reinforcer delivered after certain amount of responding
  
  • i.e food delivered after lever pushed 10 times (FR 10)
  • Once behaviour is initiated, steady and high rate of responding observed

Question 6

Cumulative Record:

Answer 6

Shows total number of responses that have occurred up to a particular point in time

Question 7

Post-Reinforcement Pause/ Pre-Ratio Pause:

Answer 7

Zero rate of responding that typically occurs just after reinforcement on a fixed ratio schedule

Question 8

Ratio Run:

Answer 8

High and steady rate of responding that completes each ratio requirement

Question 9

Ratio Strain:

Answer 9

If ratio requirement is suddenly increased a great deal, animal is likely to pause periodically before completion of ratio requirement

Question 10

Variable Ratio Schedule (VR):

Answer 10

• Different number of responses is required to obtain successive reinforcers
  
  • i.e. 10 responses to first reinforcer, 7 for next, 13 for next, average is 10 (VR 10)
  • Predictable pauses in rate of responding less likely with VR schedules that with FR schedules because number of required responses is not predictable

Question 11

Interval Schedules:

Answer 11

• Response reinforced only if the response occurs after a certain amount of time has passed

Question 12

Fixed-Interval Schedule (FI):

Answer 12

Amount of time that has to pass before a response is reinforced is constant

Question 13

Fixed Interval Scallop:

Answer 13

Response increases close to time before reinforcement is delivered, then slows down after reponding, then starts again once reinforcer is closer to being released again

Question 14

Variable Interval Schedule (VI):

Answer 14

Time required before response is reinforced varies

Question 15

Limited Hold:

Answer 15

• Once reinforcer becomes available, it is available for a limited amount of time
  
  • Applies to FI or VI schedules

Question 16

Reinforcement of Inter-Reponse Times:

Answer 16

• Inter response time is the interval between successive responses
  
  • Ratio schedules reinforce short IRTs (faster you respond, faster you are reinforced)
  • Interval schedules reinforce long IRT

Question 17

Feedback Functions:

Answer 17

• Relationship between response rates and reinforcement rates
  
  • Linear relationship with ratio schedules (increase rate of responding= increase rate of reinforcement)
  • Interval schedules have an upper limit on rate of reinforcement (no matter how fast you respond, there is a limit to how much food is given per hour)

Question 18

Pause and Run

Answer 18

After subject gets reinforcer, there is a brief pause (no responding)

Fixed ratio

Question 19

Variable Interval Graph

Answer 19

Don’t know when reinforcer will occur, so keep responding (linear)

VI and VR