missed terms

Fixed Interval

first response after fixed amount of time following previous reinforcement; you eat every 4 hours, even if you are hungry before that you can only eat after 4 hours

Variable Interval

length of interval changes unpredictably from one reinforcement to the next; popular person gets emails on average every 10 minutes, the closer you get to the 10 minute mark, the more likely you are to get reinforcement

Adjunctive Behavior

Behaviors that increase when a target behavior is controlled by a schedule or environment

Alternative Schedules

Reinforcement follows the first completion of a ratio or interval schedule of reinforcement

Conjunctive Schedules

Reinforcement is given when requirements are met for both a ratio and an interval schedule

Herrnstein's Matching Law

The response rate or the time devoted to an activity in a concurrent schedule is proportional to the rate of reinforcement of that activity relative to the rates of reinforcement on the other concurrent activities

Variable Ratio and Variable Interval

Which schedules have the greatest resistance to Extinction

Fixed Ratio

each time a set number of responses is emitted; every 5 times a child takes out the trash they get an allowance

VR

high resistance to extinction, high and steady rate without pauses, higher ratios generate higher response rates

VI

higher resistance to extinction, low and steady rate without pauses, shorter intervals generate higher rates overall

FI

low resistance to extinction, long pause after reinforcement, shorter intervals generate higher rates overall

FR

low resistance to extinction, rapid response, short pause after reinforcement, higher ratios generate higher response rates

Variable Ratio

schedule where any random number of of behaviors produces reinforcement (unpredictable); telemarketing