Chapter 7 - Schedules and Theories of Reinforcement Flashcards
What does FR stand for?
Fixed ratio
Which reinforcement schedule is FR 1 equivalent to?
CRF - Continuous reinforcement
What does an FR 7 reinforcement schedule mean?
A reinforcement (praise, food pellet, etc) is supplied after 7 repetitions of the target behaviour.
What is a post reinforcement pause?
A pause in the performance of the target behaviour due to the reception of a reward/reinforce.
What is the typical FR pattern referred to as and why?
A ‘break-and-run pattern’ - because of the (postreinforcement) pause in behaviour that occurs after reinforcement. Also due to the high rate of response that occurs when the behaviour resumes.
What are the four types of response patterns?
- fixed ratio
- variable ratio
- fixed interval
- variable interval
What is the link between ratio requirements and post reinforcement pauses?
The higher the ratio requirement, the longer the post reinforcement pause.
Schedules with lower reinforcement ratios are said to be what?
Dense or rich
Schedules with higher reinforcement ratios are said to be what?
Lean
What does ‘stretching the ratio’ mean?
Increasing a fixed ratio response from low to high.
How should stretching the ratio be done?
Gradually. E.g. CRF -> FR 2 -> FR 4 etc.
What does VR stand for?
Variable ratio (schedule)
VR schedules generally produce what?
High and steady rates of response, often with little or no post reinforcement pause.
What does FI stand for?
Fixed interval schedule
FI schedules often produce what pattern of responding and why?
Scalloped - because little or no responding occurs at the start of each interval (partly due to post reinforcement pause), but increases as time elapses. The highest rate of responding occurs towards the end of the interval.
Do FI schedules lead to postreinforcement pauses?
Yes.
On a pure FI schedule, any response occurring following the interval is what?
Significant and rewarded.
On a pure FI schedule, any response occurring during the interval is what?
Irrelevant
What does VI stand for?
Variable interval
What is the intensity of responses in VI schedules?
Moderate
Why do FR and VR schedules lead to higher response rates?
Reinforcements are response-contingent, so subjects can engage in the target behaviour more to increase the amount of reward. (Whereas increased responses in interval schedules are irrelevant, if before the end of the interval)
Why do variable schedules tend not to lead to post reinforcement pauses?
Because the reinforcements are not set - it might be that the very next response leads to reinforcement, whereas in fixed schedules, (e.g. FR 5) the subjects will not be entitled to another reward until they respond another several times, no there is no rush.
What does DRH stand for?
Differential reinforcement of high rates
What does ‘differential’ mean in DRH?
That one behaviour is being reinforced, and others are not.
What does DRL stand for?
Differential reinforcement of low rate
What does DRP stand for?
Differential reinforcement of paced responding
What are non-contingent schedules?
Schedules in which reinforcement is not dependent on responses.
What is another name for non-contingent schedules?
response-independent schedules.
How many types of non-contingent schedules are there and what are they?
Two:
- FT, fixed time
- VT, variable time
How many types of basic intermittent schedules are there and what are they?
Four:
- FR, fixed ratio
- VR, variable ratio
- FI, fixed interval
- VI, variable interval
How many types of response-rate schedules are there and what are they?
Three:
- DRH, differential reinforcement of high rates
- DRL, differential reinforcement of low rates
- DRP, differential reinforcement of paced responses.
Name three types of complex schedules
- Conjunctive
- Adjusting
- Chained
What is backward chaining?
Training the final link in a chained schedule first and the initial link last to improve responding.
A component in a lengthy chain schedule acts as what?
A reinforcer for the previous step and a discriminative stimulus to facilitate the next step.
What is an adjusting schedule?
A schedule in which the response requirement changes as a function of the organism’s performance while responding for the previous reinforcer.
What is the chained schedule?
A schedule consisting of a sequence of two or more simple schedules, each with its own discriminative stimulus and the last of which results in a terminal reinforcer.
What is a complex schedule?
A schedule consisting of a combination of two or more simple schedules
What is a conjunctive schedule?
A type of complex schedule in which the requirements of two or more simple schedules must be met before a reinforcer is delivered.
What is a continuous reinforcement schedule?
A schedule in which each specified response is reinforced.
What is differential reinforcement of high rates (DRH)?
A schedule in which reinforcement is contingent upon emitting at least a certain number of responses in a certain period of time - forcing a fast rate of response.
What is differential reinforcement of low rates (DRL)?
A schedule in which a minimum amount of time must pass between each response before the reinforcer will be delivered - forcing a slow rate of response.
What is differential reinforcement of paced responding (DRP)?
A schedule in which reinforcement is contingent upon emitting a series of responses at a set rate (rate is neither fast nor slow)
What is drive reduction theory?
Proposes an event is reinforcing to the extent that it is associated with a reduction in some type of physical drive.
What is the fixed duration schedule (FD)?
A schedule in which reinforcement is contingent upon continuous performance of a behaviour for a fixed, predictable amount of time.
What is the fixed interval schedule (FI)?
A schedule in which reinforcement is contingent on the first response after a fixed, predictable amount of time.
What is a fixed ratio (FR) schedule?
Reinforcement is contingent upon a certain, fixed number of responses being completed.
What is a fixed time (FT) schedule?
A schedule in which the reinforcer is delivered following a fixed, predictable, amount of time, regardless of the behaviour performed.
What is the goal gradient effect?
An increase in the strength and/or efficiency of responding as one draws near to the goal.
What is incentive motivation?
Motivation derived from some property of the reinforcer, as opposed to an internal drive state.
What is an intermittent/partial reinforcement schedule?
A type of schedule in which only some responses are reinforced.
What is a noncontingent schedule of reinforcement?
A schedule in which reinforcement is given regardless of behaviour
What does the Premack principle suggest?
The notion that high-probability behaviour can be used to reinforce a low-probability behaviour.
What is ratio strain?
Disruption in responding due to an overly demanding response requirement.
What is the response deprivation hypothesis?
The notion that a behaviour can serve as a reinforcer when access to the behaviour is restricted and when it’s frequency falls below the preferred level.
What is the response-rate schedule?
A schedule in which reinforcement is directly contingent upon the organism’s rate of response.
What is a schedule of reinforcement?
The response requirement that must be met to obtain reinforcement.
What is a variable duration schedule (VD)?
A schedule in which reinforcement is contingent upon continuous performance of a behaviour for a varying, unpredictable period of time.
What is a variable interval (VI) schedule?
A schedule in which reinforcement is contingent upon the first response after a varying, unpredictable period of time.
What is a variable ratio (VR) schedule?
A schedule in which reinforcement is contingent upon a varying, unpredictable number of responses.
What is a variable time schedule?
A schedule in which the reinforcer is delivered following a varying, unpredictable period of time, regardless of the organism’s behaviour.
