Download Reinforcement Schedules (Operant Conditioning)

Reinforcement Schedules (Operant Conditioning):
(Information is from multiple sources: REA AP PSYCH Crash Course Review Book, Myers Psychology AP 2nd Ed, Instructor Resource Binder – Meyers Psychology 8th Ed, 5 Steps to 5 500 AP Psychology Questions Review Book,
Barron’s AP Psychology 6th Ed.)
 Continuous Reinforcement: reinforcement every time the response occurs; learning (acquisition) is rapid; extinction is rapid- the behavior stops
when the reinforcement stops
 What happens when a normally dependable candy machine fails to deliver a chocolate bar twice in a row?
 Teachers that grade every assignment that students turn, awarding points for every assignment that students turn in
‒ What unintended consequences might occur when teachers use continuous reinforcement?
 Partial Reinforcement Effect – behavior swill be more resistant to extinction if the animal has not been reinforced continuously
 Schedules of Partial/Intermittent Reinforcement:
Fixed Ratio: high response rates; “pause & run”; brief drop off after reinforcement
 “piece work” – getting paid after every 3 baskets of fruit picked, or after every 5 shirts ironed
 Buy 10 get 1 free
 Airline frequent flyer programs - free flight after 25k miles
 A hotel maid may take a 15-minute break only after having cleaned 3 rooms
 A blueberry picker receives $1 after filling 3 pint boxes
 A student’s final grade improves one level for every three book reviews submitted
Variable Ratio: high response rates; very resistant to extinction
 “Gambler’s Schedule”
 “Gambler’s Ratio”
 Gambling, casinos, slot machines
 Lottery Tickets
 Slot machine players
 Fly fishing, fly casting anglers, fishing
 Telemarketers (reinforced after varying numbers of rings)
 Buying state lottery tickets & winning
 A professional baseball player gets a hit approximately every third time at bat
 A charitable organization makes an average of ten phone calls for every donation it receives
Fixed Interval: moderate response rates; flurry of activity towards the end of each interval;
 “Scooping” – animals & people trained on fixed interval schedule tend to wait until the time interval is drawing near before performing
the behavior, which results in the ‘scooped’ look of the graph charting the behavior
 Shift work- pay every 2 weeks or every other week
 Teachers that give a test every 2 weeks, or every Friday
 Checking for the mail more frequently as delivery time approaches
 Checking/jiggling the Jell-O to see if it has set
 Tuesday discount prices
 Cookie checkers – checking oven more frequently towards end of bake time
 A teenager receives an allowance every Sunday
 Going to the cafeteria to see if the next meal is ready
Variable Interval: low & steady response rates b/c cannot predict when you’ll be rewarded
 Pop quizzes
 Rechecking email
 Rechecking Facebook
 Checking for a Facebook response
 Watching & seeing shooting stars on a dark night
 Checking the front porch for a newspaper when the delivery person is extremely unpredictable
 Calling a garage mechanic to see if our car is fixed yet
 Calling a friend and getting a busy signal because he or she is frequently on the phone (waiting for the desired response to occur, it does
not matter how many times you pick up the phone to call your friend)