Chapter 7: Schedules of Reinforcement

F1 4

Fixed interval schedule. 4 minutes must pass before pecking is reinforced. Pecks made before 4 min are not reinforced. Animals learn to wait 4 minutes before responding

John spent his summer picking cantaloupes for a farmer. The farmer paid John a certain amount for every basket of cantaloupes picked. John worked on a _________.

fixed ratio schedule

A teacher has a student who gives up at the first sign of difficulty. How can the teacher increase the child's persistence

. Answers should make use of stretching the ratio.

In one form of the matching law, BA stands for the behavior under consideration and B0 represents _______.

. all behaviors other than BA

In CRF, the ratio of reinforcers to responses is 1 to 1; in FR 1, the ratio is

1 to 1

Discrimination hypothesis

A hypothesis about PRE that says extinction takes longer because it is harder to distinguish between extinction and an intermittent schedule than it is to distinguish between extinction and CRF

stretching the ratio

A procedure in which the number of responses required for a reinforcement increase Ex - from CRF to FR3, FR5, FR 8, FR12, and so on. Can also be applied to other kinds of schedules.

Explain why fatigue is not a good explanation for postreinforcement pauses

Answers should note that more demanding (fatiguing) schedules do not necessarily produce longer pauses than less demanding schedules. Students might also argue that the fatigue explanation is circular.

An FR1 schedule is also called _____.

CRF/continuous reinforcement

Fifteen-year-old David gives up easily in the face of frustration. How could you dvlp his persistence?

David should be rewarded on an intermittent schedule and learn that continuing a behavior even while frustrated can result in reinforcement.

Ratio strain

Disruption of the pattern of responding due to stretching the ratio of reinforcement too abruptly or too much. The same concept applies to interval schedules.

The schedule that is likely to produce a cumulative record with scallops is the _________. a. FR schedule b. VR schedule c. FI schedule d. VI schedule

FI schedule

True/ False. . In VI schedules, the reinforcer occurs periodically regardless of what the organism does.

False

True/ False. In a multiple schedule, the organism is forced to choose between two or more reinforcement schedules.

False

True/False. . Although important, the matching law is restricted to a narrow range of species, responses, reinforcers, and reinforcement schedules

False

In a tandem schedule, behavior is performed during a series of schedules, but food reinforcement comes only at the end of the last schedule. What reinforces behavior during the earlier schedules when food is not provided

It could be argued that the food reinforcement reinforces all performances. However, students should mention that each change from one schedule to the next brings the subject closer to food reinforcement and may therefore be reinforcing

concurrent schedule

Kind of compound reinforcement schedule in which 2+ schedules are available at once. Involves a choice. A pigeon can peck a red disk on a VR50 schedule or a yellow disk on a VR20 schedule.

VI 2 min

Mean 2 min but elapsed time between trials is different. During an oil change you're given an estimate of 30 minutes. Sometimes it takes this amount, sometimes it does not.

A reduction in response rate following reinforcement is called a _________.

Post reinforcement pause

extinction

Previously reinforced behavior is no longer followed by reinforcers. Is like FR needing infinite behavior. Can take a long time. One extinction trial is not equal to one reinforcement trial.

___________ schedules differ from other schedules in that the rules describing the contingencies change systematically.

Progressive

Pause-and-run pattern of behavior

Quick burst of response followed by a pause

run rate

Rate at which behavior occurs once it was resumed following reinforcement.

Variable ratio (VR) schedule

Schedule where reinforcement occurs on variable around some average. Number of responses differs from trial to trial. Unpredictable, cannot guess when reward is delivered

VR Performance

Steady performance, run rates comparable to FR schedules. Post Reinforcement pauses may occur, appear less frequent and shorter than FR schedules. Pauses influenced by the size of the average ratio and by the lowest ratio. i.e. a requirement of 40 presses before reinforcement will produce a pause compared to requiring 10.

A rat's lever pressing is on a concurrent VI 5" VI 15" schedule. Describe the rat's behavior

Students should indicate that for every lever press on the VI 15" schedule, there will be about three responses on the VI 5" schedule.

Post reinforcement pauses

The pauses that follow reinforcement. Different schedules produce different pauses. Pauses reduce the total amount of reinforcement the animal gets

Fixed interval (FI) schedule

Time is constant from one reinforcer to the next. It is predictable. Instrumental responses are required for reinforcement delivery.

Extinction often increases the variability of behavior.

True

The thinner of two schedules, VR 5 and VR 10, is VR 10.

True

True/ False Extinction often increases the frequency of emotional behavior

True

True/ False Harlan Lane and Paul Shinkman put a college student's behavior on extinction following VI reinforcement . The student performed the behavior 8,000 times without reinforcement.

True

True/ False The more effort a behavior requires, the fewer times the behavior will be performed during extinction.

True

True/ False When a response is placed on extinction, there is often an increase in emotional behavior

True

True/ False. One difference between FT and FI schedules is that in FT schedules, reinforcement is not contingent on a behavior.

True

True/ False. The response unit hypothesis suggests that there really is no such thing as the partial reinforcement effect

True

True/ False. When food is the reinforcer, it is possible to stretch the ratio to the point at which an animal expends more energy than it receives.

True

True/False. One effect of the extinction procedure is an increase in the variability of behavior

True

True/False. One everyday example of a VR schedule is the lottery

True

extinction burst

abrupt increase in behavior that occurs immediately when trying to extinguish it. When a child throws a tantrum but the parent doesn't give them what they want, so the child cries even harder.

Pre ratio pauses

another name for post-reinforcement pauses

After a reinforcement, the rate of the reinforced behavior may fall to or near zero before increasing again. The period during which the behavior occurs infrequently is called a _____ pause.

between-ratio

__________ refers to the point at which a behavior stops or its rate falls off sharply.

break point

Often the initial effect of an extinction procedure is an increase in the behavior called a(n) extinction ________.

burst

The immediate effect of extinction is often an abrupt increase in the rate of the behavior being extinguished.This is called an extinction ______.

burst

Choice involves ____ schedules.

concurrent

Stanley wants to determine which of two reinforcement schedules is more attractive to rats. He trains a rat to press a lever for food, and then puts the rat into an experimental chamber containing two levers. Pressing one lever produces reinforcement on an FR 10 schedule; pressing the other lever produces reinforcement on an FI 10" schedule. Lever pressing is on a _________.

concurrent schedule

Studies of choice involve _________.

concurrent schedules

CRF stands for ________

continuous reinforcement

If reinforcement is contingent on the behavior of more than one individuals, a ______ schedule is in effect.

cooperative

A schedule in which reinforcement is contingent on the behavior of more than one subject is a _________.

cooperative schedule

2 types of interval schedules

defined as reinforcement is delivered only if responses are made after a certain amount of time has passed. types are fixed and variable interval.

According to the ________ hypothesis, the PRE occurs because it is difficult to distinguish between intermittent reinforcement and extinction

discrimination

The frustration and sequential hypotheses are both variations of the ______ hypothesis.

discrimination

In a _____ schedule, reinforcement is contingent on the continuous performance of a behavior for some period of time.

fixed duration

The explanation of the PRE that puts greatest emphasis on internal cues is the ________ hypothesis.

frustration

Shirley trains a rat to press a lever and then reinforces lever presses on an FR 10 schedule when a red light is on, and an FI 10" schedule when a green light is on. In this case, lever pressing is on a

multiple schedule

FT and VT are both kinds of ______ reinforcement.

noncontingent. since the reinforcers are not contingent on a behavior, that term seems inappropriate.

in VR the number of responses required is

not predictable

When behavior is on a FR schedule, animals often discontinue working briefly following reinforcement. These periods are called ________.

post-reinforcement pauses/pre-ratio pauses/between-ratio pauses

Things are going pretty well for George (see item 26) until he jumps from reinforcing every tenth response to reinforcing every 50th response. At this point, the pigeon responds erratically and nearly stops responding entirely. George's pigeon is suffering from _________.

ratio strain

The study of reinforcement schedules suggests that the behavior we call stick-to-itiveness is largely the product of _________.

reinforcement history

One explanation for the PRE implies that the effect is really an illusion. This is the _________.

response unit hypothesis

The reappearance of previously effective behavior during extinction is called ____________.

resurgence

The reappearance, during extinction, of a previously effective beh is called _____.

resurgence

The rule describing the delivery of reinforcement is called a ________of reinforcement.

schedule

The term ________ refers to the pattern and rate of performance produced by a particular reinforcement schedule

schedule effects

. If you increase the requirements for reinforcement too quickly you are likely to see evidence of ratio _____

strain

George trains a pigeon to peck a disk by reinforcing each disk peck. Once the response is learned, George begins to cut back on the reinforcers. At first he reinforces every other response, then every third response, every fifth response, every tenth response, and so on. George is using a procedure called _________.

stretching the ratio

Gradually reducing the frequency of reinforcement is called _________.

stretching the ratio

A chain schedule is most like a _________ schedule.

tandem

Variable interval (VI) schedule

A response is reinforced when a variable amount of time has elapsed since the last reinforcer. Unpredictable, rate of responding is steady.

Schedules of Reinforcement

A rule describing the delivery of reinforcers for a behavior. Depends on number of responses, passage of time, stimuli, and occurrence of other responses

Continuous reinforcement (CRF)

A simple reinforcement schedule in which behavior is reinforced each time it occurs. Reinforcement is delivered for each response. Responses are steady. Not practical for real world, you cannot be rewarded for everything you do right

Frustration hypothesis

Amsel A hypothesis about PRE that says nonreinforcement of previously reinforced behavior is frustrating, and because individuals become frustrated during intermittent schedules when they are not reinforced, performing while frustrated is reinforced.

John wants to teach Cindy, age 5, the alphabet. He plans to reinforce correct performances with praise and small pieces of candy. What sort of schedule should he use?

At first, John should use continuous reinforcement. As Cindy learns more, he should move to an intermittent schedule, such as VI.

The schedule to use if you want to produce the most rapid learning of new behavior is _______.

CRF. Continuous reinforcement

Sequential hypothesis

Capaldi A hypothesis about PRE that says differences in sequence of cues create PRE. Each performance is followed by reinforcement or nonreinforcement. In intermittent schedules, there is both reinforcement and nonreinforcement. Therefore, reinforcement and nonreinforcement are both signals for performance.

CRF is synonymous with _________. a. EXT b. FR 1 c. CRT d. FI 1

FR 1

The schedule that is not an intermittent schedule is _________. a. FR 1 b. FR 5 c. VR 1 d. VI 1"

FR 1. Fixed Ratio.

Four main types of reinforcement

FR, fixed ratio two sub types of reinforcement continuous partial or intermittent. VR, variable ratio. FI, fixed interval. VI, variable interval.

A schedule that does not require the performance of a particular behavior is the _________. a. FT schedule b. FD schedule c. FI schedule d. FR schedule

FT

Of the following, the schedule that most closely resembles noncontingent reinforcement is _________. a. FD b. FT c. FI d. DRL

FT

One difference between FT and FI schedules is that in the _____ schedule, reinforcement is not contingent on a behavior

FT

Matching Law

Herrnstein's law that two beh, B1 and B2, with reinforcement schedules r1 and r2, the frequency of each beh = the frequency of reinforcement available.

In the days of public telephones, many people regularly checked the coin return after making a call. Explain this behavior.

If a person looked for coins, their behavior may have been reinforced by receiving coins. Each time they went to the telephone, they performed this behavior and sometimes were reinforced again.

Variable ratio (VR) schedule example

In a VR 5 schedule schedule lever presses for reinforcement might occur after 1-10 responses but the average is every 5 presses.

Multiple schedule

Kind of compound reinforcement schedule in which behavior is under the influence of 2+ simple schedules, each associated w/ a particular stimulus. A pigeon is on a FI10" schedule when yellow light is on and VR10 when red light is on - called a MULT FI10" VR10 schedule

Mixed schedule

Kind of compound reinforcement schedule in which behavior is under the influence of 2+ simple schedules.

chain schedule

Kind of compound reinforcement schedule in which reinforcement is delivered only on completion of the last in a series of schedules, and each new schedule is marked by a distinctive event. A pigeon on a CHAIN FR10 FI15" VR20 schedule pecks a red disk and after the 10th peck, the disk turns yellow. After 15sec, the next peck will result in the disk turning green. After an avg of 20 pecks, the pigeon gets reinforcement. What reinforces this? Possibly the stimuli.

tandem schedule

Kind of compound reinforcement schedule in which reinforcement is delivered only on completion of the last in a series of schedules. What reinforces this? Possibly the change in schedule.

cooperative schedule

Kind of compound reinforcement schedule in which reinforcement is dependent on the behavior of 2+ individual. So, two pigeons must peck 20x in total. Or, they can peck 20x in total, and each must peck at least 10x. Typically inefficient in humans - think about the one slacker on group projects.

Progressive ratio (PR) schedule

Kind of progressive reinforcement schedule in which the requirement for a reinforcer increase in a predetermined way, often immediately after a reinforcement. The ratio gets larger in an arithmetic or geometric way, or the reinforcement gets smaller/decrease in quality. This happens continuously until the break point.

Intermittent schedule

Kind of simple reinforcement schedule in which behavior is reinforced on some occasions, but not others.

Fixed ratio (FR) schedule

Kind of simple reinforcement schedule in which behavior is reinforced when it occurs a fixed number of times. Continuous, partial or intermittent reinforcement. Predictable. 5 responses for 5 minutes.

Fixed duration (FD) schedule

Kind of simple reinforcement schedule in which reinforcement is contingent on the continuous performance of the behavior for some period of time. For ex, a child practices piano for 30 min and gets a reward.

noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) schedule

Kind of simple reinforcement schedule in which reinforcers are not contingent on behavior. Includes fixed time and variable time.

Fixed time (FT) schedule

Kind of simple reinforcement schedule in which the reinforcer is delivered after a given period of time regardless of behavior. Uncommon outside of laboratory, but some might make a case that welfare programs are similar.

Variable time (VT) schedule

Kind of simple reinforcement schedule in which the reinforcer is delivered periodically at irregular intervals around some avg regardless of what behavior occurs.

Variable duration (VD) schedule

Kind of simple reinforcement schedule in which the required performance to receive reinforcement varies around some avg. For ex, a child has to practice piano for 30, 45, 10, or 20 min - an avg of 30 min - to get reward.

Progressive schedule

Kind of simple reinforcement schedule in which the requirements to receive reinforcement incr systematically. Is complicated for a simple reinforcement schedule.

Response unit hypothesis

Mowrer and Jones A hypothesis about PRE that says in intermittent schedules, like FR2 schedule for reinforcing lever pressing, the behavior that is reinforced is actually two lever presses. So, PRE is an illusion: In the rat experiment with lever pressing, CRF: 128 presses before extinction. FR2: 94 presses before extinction. (188/2) FR3: 71.8 presses before extinction. (215.5/3) FR4: 68.1 presses before extinction. (272.3/4)

Is gambling a form of superstitious behavior?

No, because gambling can result in reinforcement.

resurgence

Reappearance of a previously reinforced behavior This may explain regression.

The rate at which a response occurs, once the subject begins performing it, is called the _________.

Run Rate

Schedule effects

The distinctive rate and pattern of behavior associated with a particular reinforcement schedule. Important because learning can also be a change in behavior.

Mary complains that her dog jumps on her when she gets home from school. You explain that she reinforces this beh by petting and talking to the dog when it jumps up, but Mary replies that you must be wrong because she hardly ever does this. How do you respond?

The dog is being reinforced on an intermittent schedule, so it is more difficult to extinguish that behavior. The dog will continue to perform this behavior until it receives reinforcement.

What is the matching law?

The rate of behavior matches the rate of reinforcement.

A teacher reinforces longer and longer periods of quiet behavior in her students. How can she avoid creating ratio strain?

The teacher can start out with small amounts of quiet behavior, and gradually increase it - perhaps by five minutes each class.

partial reinforcement effect (PRE)

The tendency of a behavior that has been maintained on an intermittent schedule to be more resistant to extinction than behavior on CRF The thinner the reinforcement schedule, the greater the amount of lever presses before extinction.

. Your text reports the case of a man who apparently made hundreds of harassing phone calls. The man's behavior was most likley on a(n) _________.

VR schedule

The thinner of two schedules, FR3 and VR4, is ____.

VR4

Harry spent his summer in the city panhandling. Every day he would sit on the sidewalk, put a cardboard sign in front of him that said, "Please help," and place his hat on the sidewalk upside down. Then he would wait. Every now and then someone would put money into his hat. Harry's reinforcement schedule is best described as a _________.

VT, variable time schedule

The tendencies to respond eventually correspond to the probabilities of ______.

reinforcement

How might you use what you know about reinforcement schedules to study the effects of the presence of observers on human performance?

When a person's performance is observed, they may behave in a certain way in an attempt to get a reward because previously, observers have provided reinforcement for behaviors.

break point

When the behavior falls off sharply or stops entirely.

How could you "stretch the ratio" when a beh is on an interval schedule?

You could do something analogous to stretching the ratio by "stretching the interval."

When reinforcement is contingent on continuous performance of an activity, a __________. reinforcement schedule is in force

duration

A given reinforcement schedule tends to produce a distinctive pattern and rate of performance. These are called schedule _______.

effects

. Williams found that the greater the number of reinforcements before extinction, the _______.

greater the number of responses during extinction

ratio run

high and steady rate of responding that completes each ratio requirement

In VR a post reinforcement pause can show but

it is generally smaller than in FR schedules

The _____ law means that, given a choice of activities, the proportion of responses to each activity will reflect the availability of reinforcement for each.

matching

The difference btwn multiple and mixed schedules is that in _____ schedules there is a signal that has changed.

multiple

Extinction is the opposite of _____.

reinforcement

PRE stands for ___________

partial reinforcement effect

The more work required for each reinforcement the longer the

post reinforcement pause.

. Post-reinforcement pauses are now often referred to as _________.

pre ratio pauses

Thinning a reinforcement schedule too rapidly or too much can produce _______.

ratio strain

In a(n) ____ schedule, reinforcement is contingent on the number of times a beh occurs; in a(n) _____ schedule, reinforcement is contingent on the beh occurring after a given period since the last reinforcement.

ratio, interval

Resurgence may help account for _______.

regression

partial (intermittent) reinforcement

reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement. On a FR 10 schedule, every 10th response, they would be rewarded.

In VR there is a steadier state of

responding that FR schedules

Of the four explanations of the PRE, the one that essentially says there is no such thing is the _______ hypothesis.

response unit

The rate at which a beh occurs once it has begun is called the ____ rate.

run

VR reinforcement is dependent on

the number of responses

A pigeon is confronted with two disks, one green, the other red. The bird receives food on a VI 20" schedule when it pecks the green disk, and on a VI 10" schedule when it pecks the red one. You predict that the bird will peck _________.

the red disk about twice as often as the green disk

In FT and VT schedules, reinforcement is contingent on ____ rather than _____.

time, behavior

. In schedules research, VD stands for ________.

variable duration

Bill spends his summer in the city panhandling. Every day he takes a position on a busy corner and accosts passersby saying, "Can you spare some change?" Most people ignore him, but every now and then someone gives him money. Bill's reinforcement schedule is best described as a _________.

variable ratio schedule