PSYC*2330 Chapter 6: Schedules of Reinforcement and Choice Behaviour

Question 1

What is a schedule of reinforcement?

Answer 1

A program, or rule, that determines how and when the occurrence of a response will be followed by the delivery of a reinforcer

Question 2

T or F: Schedule effects are highly relevant to motivation of behaviour.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

What is more important in terms of how motivated a person is, their personality, or the schedule of reinforcement in effect?

Answer 3

The schedule of reinforcement

Question 4

What is a cumulative record?

Answer 4

A graphical representation of how a response is repeated overtime

Question 5

What are simple schedules of reinforcement?

Answer 5

Schedules in which a single factor determines which instrumental response is reinforced

Question 6

What is continuous reinforcement?

Answer 6

A type of reinforcement schedule in which every occurrence of the instrumental response is reinforced

Question 7

What is intermittent/partial reinforcement?

Answer 7

A type of reinforcement schedule in which the instrumental response is only reinforced occasionally

Question 8

What are ratio schedules of reinforcement?

Answer 8

Schedules in which reinforcement depends on the number of responses the participant performs

Question 9

What is a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement?

Answer 9

Schedules in which a fixed number of responses leads to reinforcement

Question 10

Which simple schedule of intermittent reinforcement has a cumulative record that shows a steady and moderate rate of responding with brief, predictable pauses?

Answer 10

Fixed-ratio

Question 11

What is the post-reinforcement pause?

Answer 11

A pause in responding just after reinforcement in an FR schedule

Question 12

What is the post-reinforcement pause also known as?

Answer 12

The pre-ratio pause

Question 13

What is a ratio run?

Answer 13

The high and steady rate of responding that completes each ratio requirement

Question 14

What is ratio strain?

Answer 14

A disruption in responding after a ratio requirement is increased too quickly

Question 15

What is a variable-ratio schedule of reinforcement?

Answer 15

Schedules in which the number of responses to obtain a reinforcer varies from one reinforcement to the next

Question 16

T or F: The VR schedule is labelled based on the number of responses required for the first reinforcement.

Answer 16

False. Labelled based on the average number of responses per reinforcer.

Question 17

Which simple schedule of intermittent reinforcement has a cumulative record that shows a steep and steady rate of responding with no pauses?

Answer 17

Variable-ratio

Question 18

What are interval schedules of reinforcement?

Answer 18

Schedules in which a response is reinforced only if it occurs after a certain amount of time has passed

Question 19

What is a fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement?

Answer 19

Schedules in which the amount of time that has to pass to obtain a reinforcer is constant

Question 20

What term refers to the gradual increase in the rate of responding that occurs between successive reinforcements on an FI schedule?

Answer 20

The fixed interval scallop

Question 21

Which simple schedule of intermittent reinforcement has a cumulative record that shows a slower response rate immediately after reinforcement, but gradually increases between trials?

Answer 21

Fixed-ratio

Question 22

T or F: Performance on FI schedules of reinforcement reflects temporal awareness in animals.

Answer 22

True

Question 23

What is a variable-interval schedule of reinforcement?

Answer 23

Schedules in which the amount of time that has to pass to obtain a reinforcer varies from one reinforcer to the next

Question 24

Which simple schedule of intermittent reinforcement has a cumulative record that shows a steady rate of responding with no pauses, but is less steep than that of a VR ?

Answer 24

Variable-interval

Question 25

What type of schedule of reinforcement involves increasing response requirements for reinforcer delivery over successive sessions?

Answer 25

Progressive Ratio

Question 26

What term refers to the last completed ratio in an escalating series/ progressive ratio?

Answer 26

The breaking point

Question 27

What does it mean when there's a limited hold on a variable-interval schedule of reinforcement?

Answer 27

In order for a response to be reinforced, it must occur before the end of the limited hold period

Question 28

T or F: Response rate is not simply a function of how many reinforcers can be earned.

Answer 28

True

Question 29

When a VI pigeon was yoked to the VR pigeon, who showed higher rates of responding?

Answer 29

The VR pigeon

Question 30

Do ratio schedules reinforce long or short inter-response times? Why?

Answer 30

Short because the faster the ratio is completed, the faster reinforcement will be provided

Question 31

Do interval schedule reinforce long or short inter-response times? Why?

Answer 31

Long because the more the time between responding, the more likely the interval has passed, and the response will be reinforced

Question 32

Does explaining why VR schedules result in higher response rates than VI schedules in terms of reinforcement of inter-response times take a molecular or molar approach?

Answer 32

Molecular

Question 33

What is the relationship between response rates and reinforcement calculated over an entire experimental session/ an extended period of time?

Answer 33

A feedback function

Question 34

T or F: Reinforcement is considered to be the feedback of responding.

Answer 34

True

Question 35

Is the response rate directly related to the reinforcement rate in ratio or interval schedules?

Answer 35

Ratio

Question 36

Which type of schedule has an increasing linear feedback function with no theoretical limit, ratio or interval?

Answer 36

Ratio

Question 37

In which type of schedule is there an upper limit to the number of reinforcers that can be earned regardless of increased rates of responding, ratio or interval?

Answer 37

Interval

Question 38

Does explaining why VR schedules result in higher response rates than VI schedules in terms of feedback functions take a molecular or molar approach?

Answer 38

Molar

Question 39

What is the simplest method of studying choice behaviour?

Answer 39

Concurrent schedules

Question 40

Which type of reinforcement schedules have the purpose of observing how behaviour is distributed across available options?

Answer 40

Concurrent schedules

Question 41

Which type of reinforcement schedules allow the participant to choose between two or more simple reinforcement schedules that are available simultaneously?

Answer 41

Concurrent schedules

Question 42

What does the relative rate of responding in a concurrent schedule describe?

Answer 42

How often there is a response towards each of the available alternative simple schedules

Question 43

How is relative rate of responding calculated for each alternative?

Answer 43

Divide the rate of responding for that alternative by the total number of responses

Question 44

In a concurrent schedule with two alternatives, what does a relative rate of responding of 0.5 indicate?

Answer 44

Equal distribution of responding on either alternative

Question 45

In a concurrent schedule with two alternatives, what does a relative rate of responding of 1 indicate?

Answer 45

All responding was allocated to one alternative

Question 46

T or F: The reinforcement schedule in effect for each alternative in a concurrent schedule has no effect on the relative rates of responding and the relative rates of reinforcement.

Answer 46

False. The reinforcement schedule has enormous influence over both.

Question 47

What is the formula [BL/(BL+BR)] used to calculate?

Answer 47

The relative rate of responding

Question 48

In a concurrent schedule with two alternatives, what does a relative rate of reinforcement of 0.5 indicate?

Answer 48

Equal distribution of reinforcement on either alternative

Question 49

In a concurrent schedule with two alternatives, what does a relative rate of reinforcement of 1 indicate?

Answer 49

All reinforcements were earned from one alternative

Question 50

What is the formula [rL/(rL+rR)] used to calculate?

Answer 50

The relative rate of reinforcement

Question 51

What does the matching law state?

Answer 51

The relative rate of responding on a particular response alternative equals the relative rate of reinforcement for that alternative

Question 52

The formulas [BL/(BL+BR)]=[rL/(rL+rR)] and [BL/BR]=[rL/rR] are used to indicate what?

Answer 52

The matching law

Question 53

The generalized matching law formula adds what two parameters to the matching law?

Answer 53

- Response bias - Sensitivity

Question 54

What is it called when there is a deviation from perfect matching in which there is less sensitivity to the relative rate of reinforcement than predicted by the matching law?

Answer 54

Undermatching

Question 55

How is the matching law accommodated to account for undermatching?

Answer 55

By making the exponent s less than 1

Question 56

What are three variables that can influence the sensitivity parameter in the generalized matching law equation?

Answer 56

- Species - Effort/difficulty of switching between alternatives - How the schedule alternatives are constructed

Question 57

In a concurrent schedule of reinforcement, what is the result of the reinforcer for one response being more attractive than the reinforcer for the other?

Answer 57

A response bias

Question 58

In a concurrent schedule of reinforcement, what is the result of response effort being different between alternatives?

Answer 58

A response bias

Question 59

How is the matching law accommodated to account for higher responding on one alternative due to a response bias?

Answer 59

By inputting a higher value for b

Question 60

Is the matching law a mechanistic or descriptive law of nature?

Answer 60

A descriptive law of nature

Question 61

What reinforcement schedule allows for the study of choice with commitment?

Answer 61

Concurrent-chain schedules

Question 62

What are the two stages in a concurrent-chain and chain schedule of reinforcement?

Answer 62

- The choice/initial link - The terminal link

Question 63

What occurs during the choice link in a concurrent-chain schedule of reinforcement?

Answer 63

Participant chooses between two schedule alternatives by making one of two responses

Question 64

What occurs during the terminal link in a concurrent-chain schedule of reinforcement?

Answer 64

Participant has the opportunity for reinforcement based on the schedule chosen during the choice link

Question 65

T or F: In a concurrent-chain schedule, once a choice is made in the choice link, no alternative is available except to complete the terminal link.

Answer 65

True

Question 66

In a concurrent-chain schedule, when does the response chain "reset"?

Answer 66

When the response required by the terminal link is completed

Question 67

In a concurrent-chain schedule, is the reinforcer for the choice link a primary or secondary reinforcer?

Answer 67

Secondary

Question 68

In a concurrent-chain schedule, is the reinforcer for the terminal link a primary or secondary reinforcer?

Answer 68

Primary

Question 69

T or F: The reinforcer for the choice link is conditioned by the cue (ex. key-light) associated with the terminal link schedule.

Answer 69

True

Question 70

T or F: Response patterns in a concurrent-chain schedule depend only on the terminal link schedule, not the initial link schedule.

Answer 70

False. Response patterns depend on both the terminal link schedule and the initial link schedule.

Question 71

When the overall rate of reinforcement is the same, do participants prefer variable schedules or fixed schedules?

Answer 71

Variable schedules

Question 72

What is the difference between concurrent-chain schedules and chain schedules?

Answer 72

- Concurrent-chain schedules: The response made in the initial link determines the type of responding necessary for reinforcement in the terminal link - Chain schedules: The response made in the initial link provides access to the terminal link, but does not impact the type of responding needed in the terminal link

Question 73

In a chain schedule of reinforcement, what must occur to access the terminal link?

Answer 73

The participant must completes the response requirement on the initial link

Question 74

In a chain schedule of reinforcement, what is the result of completing the response requirement on the terminal link?

Answer 74

Access to a primary reinforcement

Question 75

T or F: In chain schedules, some rats will continue responding to the initial link in hopes of seeking the cocaine in the terminal link, even when being punished with shock during the initial link.

Answer 75

True

Question 76

T or F: Rats with extensive cocaine exposure have lower breaking points when completing a progressive ratio schedule for cocaine delivery.

Answer 76

False. They have higher breaking points.

Question 77

Does the subjectivity of choice increase or decrease when the options vary on more than one dimension?

Answer 77

Increases

Question 78

Does the value of a reward increase or decrease as a function of the delay needed to wait to obtain it?

Answer 78

Decreases

Question 79

T or F: An individual's discounting delay rate is closely linked to personality traits.

Answer 79

True

Question 80

According to the hyperbolic decay function, is the value of a reinforcer directly or inversely related to the reward magnitude?

Answer 80

Directly related

Question 81

According to the hyperbolic decay function, is the value of a reinforcer directly or inversely related to the reward decay?

Answer 81

Inversely related

Question 82

The equation [V]=[M/(1+kD)] represents what function?

Answer 82

The hyperbolic decay function

Question 83

In the hyperbolic decay function, what does k represent?

Answer 83

The discounting rate parameter

Question 84

According to the hyperbolic decay function, the value of the reinforcer is directly related to the magnitude (V=M) when the delay (D) is equal to what?

Answer 84

V=M when D=0

Question 85

T or F: The longer delayed a reinforcer, the larger its value.

Answer 85

False. The longer delayed a reinforcer, the smaller its value.

Question 86

In the study by Kim et al., did American or Korean students show a steeper discounting delay?

Answer 86

American students discounted more than Korean students

Question 87

T or F: Steep discounting delays are considered a measure of impulsive choice.

Answer 87

True

Question 88

Do those with substance use disorders discount rewards more or less rapidly than those without?

Answer 88

More rapidly