Chapter 6 Shedules Of Reinforcement And Choice Behavior Flashcards
Ratio schedule
A simple schedule of reinforcement
Reinforcement depends only in the NUMBER of responses the organism has preformed
Count the number of times the response occurs and then deliver the reinforcer
Schedule of reinforcement
A program or rule that determines which occurrence of a response is followed by the reinforcer
Continuous reinforcement
(CRF) the required response number is one for every occurrence of the instrumental response
Partial or intermittent reinforcement
Situations in which responding is reinforced only some of the time
Fixed ratio schedule
Fr for short
The exact number of responses made before reinforcement
If ten the called FR10
Cumulative Record
A special way of representing how a response is repeated over time
A steady and high rate of responding once the behavior starts but may be a pause before the start of the required number of responses
Post reinforcement pause
The zero rate of responding that occurs right after reinforcement
Ratio run
The high and steady rate of responding that completed each ratio
Ratio strain
If the ratio is drastically increased the animal is likely to pause periodically before the completion of the ratio requirement.
Sometimes so large animal stops
See zombie farm
Variable ratio schedule
A ratio schedule but with a different number of responses are required to deliver each reinforcer
Ex.gambling
Interval schedules
Responses are reinforced only if the response occurs after a certain amount of time
Fixed interval schedule
The amount of time that has to pass before a response is reinforced
Is constant from one trial to the next
Ex.washing machine
Fixed interval scallop
Patterns of responding that develop with fixed interval reinforcement schedules
Ex) studying for exams
Variable interval schedule
Responses reinforced if they occur after a variable interval after the start of the trial or the schedule cycle
Limited hold
Reinforcement on how long a reinforcer remains available
Can be added to both fixed interval and variable interval schedules
Inter-Response Time (IRT)
The interval between one response and the next
An explanation for higher response rates on ratio scheduling
What sort of Inter-response time does ratio scheduling favor
Short because animal controls speed(which is usually quick) between responses
Concurrent Schedules
Two schedules are in effect at the same time (concurrently) and the subject is free to switch from one response to another.
Pigeon with two keys
Allow for continuous measurement of choice because organism is free to change response
Relative rate if responding
A1/(A1+A2)
If equal rate between two then =.5
Matching Law
The relative rate of responding matches the relative rate of reinforcement
Formulas for matching law
Bl/(Bl+Br) = rl/(rl+rr) Where B is rates of behavior l is left key r is right key r is rates of reinforcement Or Bl/Br = rl/rr
Accommodating matching law
Bl/Br= b(rl/rr)^s
s= sensitivity of choice
(Perfect matching s=1)
b=response bias
Under matching
Reduced sensitivity of choice behavior to the relative rates if reinforcement
By making s less than one
Molar theories
Theory of matching that ignores the individual responses and deals with the overall distribution (think mods in math)
Molecular theory
What happens at each individual response and view the matching net relations of as a set of net results of individual choices
What does the idea that animals maximize reinforcement explain
It explains the choice behavior of molar and molecular levels of analysis
As it is proven with both ratio and interval schedules that animals want to get as much reinforcement as possible
Why does Molar Maximizing work?
Organisms are lazy and can put in less effort but still gain a large amount of reinforcers through the interval scheduling
Melioration
Operates on a scale between molecular and molar
People don’t make once and for all decisions but slip into habits
Making something as good as it can be in the LONG RUN
Local rate
Calculated only over a time period a subject devotes to a particular choice alternative
Frequency of responses divided by time responding to those responses
Overall rate
A calculated by dividing the frequency of responses to a by the entire duration
Concurrent Chain Schedule of reinforcement
A complex reinforcement procedure in which the participant is permitted to choose during the first link which of several simple reinforcement schedules will be in effect in the second link. Once a choice is made the rejected alternatives are unavailable until the start of the next trial
A choice with commitment
Choice link
First stage in concurrent chain schedule
Gets to choose between two alternatives
Responding here does not receive direct reinforcement but leads to one of 2 different options for it
Terminal link
The second and final stage of concurrent chain schedules
Where reinforcement is received
2 different terminals links per experiment with different schedules
What did the pigeons show about studies of self control
When it was a direct choice procedure there was no self control and they’d choose a small reward
But if it was concurrent schedule procedure they would choose large reward which showed how small rewards out of site easier to choose larger one
Value discounting fiction
Describes the decrease in value of a reward based on the time waiting for it V= M/( 1+ KD) V- value of reinforcer M- reward magnitude K- discounting rate parameter D- reward delay
