operant conditioning:reinforcement Flashcards
what is continuous reinforcement
reward for every desired behviour, extinct quicker
what is fixed ratio schedule
reinforcement after a set number of times, may be post reinforcement pause PRP
what is variable ratio schedule
no set number of responses for when the behaviour is reinforced, PRP absent
what is fixed interval schedule
reinforcement after a set amount of time, PRP may follow
what is variable ratio interval
no set time intervals for when the behaviour is reinforced, no PRP
what are the strengths of schedules of reinforcement
A strength of reinforcement schedules is that they are supported by many studies conducted in labs on both humans and animals. For example Latham and Dossett (1978) found that mountain beaver trappers responded better to variable ratio pay in which they received $4 for every trapped animal if they also correctly guessed the colour or a marble than fixed ratio pay where they received $1 per animal. This means there is a firm evidence base supporting the properties of partial reinforcement in both human and non-human animal learning
what are the weaknesses of reinforcement
One weakness is that understanding the properties of reinforcement does not provide a complete account for human motivation. Humans are motivated by a range of factors. Reinforcement properties provide a detailed account of extrinsic motivation - the effect of ‘outside’ factors when someone else offers us a reward. However, our behaviour can also be a result of intrinsic ‘inside’ motives. At work for example we can be just as motivated by interest and enjoyment (intrinsic motivation) as by extrinsic rewards, however well they are scheduled. This shows that reinforcement properties only provide a partial explanation for human behaviour
