Download Name - Montville.net

Name
Date
Period
Operant Conditioning Notes and Worksheet
Operant Conditioning – Learning from the consequences of behavior. Subject operates on, or causes
some changes in, the environment.

An important factor in operant conditioning is the timing and frequency of reinforcement.

Behavior that is reinforced every time it occurs is on a continuous schedule.

Behavior that is reinforced only intermittently is said to be on a partial schedule.

Schedules for reinforcement are based on one of these two

The number of correct responses that the organism makes between reinforcements (ratio)

The amount of time that elapses before reinforcement is made
Ratio
Fixed
Variable
Fixed Ratio – A specific number of
responses occur to create reinforcement.
Variable Ratio – The number of responses
to create a reinforcement changes from
one reinforcement to the next.
Interval
Fixed Interval – The first response, after a
predetermined time elapses, is reinforced.
Variable Interval – The time at which the
reinforcement becomes available changes
throughout the conditioning procedure.
Directions: Correctly identify the following as an example of fixed ratio (FR), variable ratio (VR), fixed
interval (FI), or variable interval (VI).
1. A custom car maker is paid for each car he sells.
2. The rate at which you check your social media accounts.
3. The number of licks it takes to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop.
4. A professional football player and his schedule for preparing for the weekly game.
5. Rex (a dog) is used to being fed at 3:00 every afternoon. Today, Rex’s owner doesn’t get
home until 4:00 and Rex is visibly upset. This is because Rex has been conditioned on a
schedule.
6. Feeding a slot machine hoping to get a big payoff is an example of this type of conditioning.
7. The dog who ALWAYS gets a treat when he begs for it.
8. When fishing, you cast your line in the water. The rate at which you may catch the fish.