Variable-Ratio Schedules. Variable-ratio schedules occur when a response is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses.
This schedule creates a high steady rate of responding. Gambling and lottery games are good examples of a reward based on a variable ratio schedule. In a lab setting, this might involve delivering food pellets to a rat after one bar press, again after four bar presses, and then again after two bar presses. Fixed-Interval Schedules. Fixed-interval schedules are those where the first response is rewarded only after a specified amount of time has elapsed. This schedule causes high amounts of responding near the end of the interval but slower responding immediately after the delivery of the reinforcer.
An example of this in a lab setting would be reinforcing a rat with a lab pellet for the first bar press after a second interval has elapsed. Variable-Interval Schedules. Variable-interval schedules occur when a response is rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed. This schedule produces a slow, steady rate of response. Deciding when to reinforce a behavior can depend on a number of factors. In cases where you are specifically trying to teach a new behavior, a continuous schedule is often a good choice.
Once the behavior has been learned, switching to a partial schedule is often preferable. In daily life, partial schedules of reinforcement occur much more frequently than do continuous ones. For example, imagine if you received a reward every time you showed up to work on time. Over time, instead of the reward being a positive reinforcement, the denial of the reward could be regarded as negative reinforcement. Instead, rewards like these are usually doled out on a much less predictable partial reinforcement schedule.
Not only are these much more realistic, but they also tend to produce higher response rates while being less susceptible to extinction.
Partial schedules reduce the risk of satiation once a behavior has been established. If a reward is given without end, the subject may stop performing the behavior if the reward is no longer wanted or needed. For example, imagine that you are trying to teach a dog to sit. If you use food as a reward every time, the dog might stop performing once it is full. In such instances, something like praise or attention may be more effective in reinforcing an already-established behavior.
Operant conditioning can be a powerful learning tool. The schedule of reinforcement utilized during training and maintenance process can have a major influence on how quickly a behavior is acquired, the strength of the response, and how frequently the behavior is displayed.
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Published : 18 April Issue Date : December We can better understand the concept of continuous reinforcement by using candy machines as an example. Candy machines are examples of continuous reinforcement because every time we put money in behavior , we receive candy in return positive reinforcement. However, if a candy machine were to fail to provide candy twice in a row, we would likely stop trying to put money in Myers, We have come to expect our behavior to be reinforced every time it is performed and quickly grow discouraged if it is not.
Unlike continuous schedules, partial schedules only reinforce the desired behavior occasionally rather than all the time. This leads to slower learning since it is initially more difficult to make the association between behavior and reinforcement. However, partial schedules also produce behavior that is more resistant to extinction. Organisms are tempted to persist in their behavior in hopes that they will eventually be rewarded.
For instance, slot machines at casinos operate on partial schedules. They provide money positive reinforcement after an unpredictable number of plays behavior. Hence, slot players are likely to continuously play slots in the hopes that they will gain money the next round Myers, Partial reinforcement schedules occur the most frequently in everyday life, and vary according to the number of responses rewarded fixed or variable or the time gap interval or ratio between response.
Combinations of these four descriptors yield four kinds of partial reinforcement schedules: fixed-ratio, fixed-interval, variable-ratio and variable-interval.
In operant conditioning, a fixed interval schedule is when reinforcement is given to a desired response after specific predictable amount of time has passed. Such a schedule results in a tendency for organisms to increase the frequency of responses closer to the anticipated time of reinforcement. However, immediately after being reinforced, the frequency of responses decreases. The fluctuation in response rates means that a fixed-interval schedule will produce a scalloped pattern refer to figure below rather than steady rates of responding.
An example of a fixed-interval schedule would be a teacher giving students a weekly quiz every Monday. Over the weekend, there is suddenly a flurry of studying for the quiz. On Monday, the students take the quiz and are reinforced for studying positive reinforcement: receive a good grade; negative reinforcement: do not fail the quiz. For the next few days, they are likely to relax after finishing the stressful experience until the next quiz date draws too near for them to ignore.
In operant conditioning, a variable interval schedule is when the reinforcement is provided after a random unpredictable amount of time has passes and following a specific behavior being performed. This schedule produces a low, steady responding rate since organisms are unaware of the next time they will receive reinforcers.
It is given a food pellet after varying time intervals ranging from minutes. It is given a pellet after 3 minutes, then 5 minutes, then 2 minutes, etc. It will respond steadily since it does not know when its behavior will be reinforced. In operant conditioning, a fixed-ratio schedule reinforces behavior after a specified number of correct responses. This kind of schedule results in high, steady rates of responding. Organisms are persistent in responding because of the hope that the next response might be one needed to receive reinforcement.
This schedule is utilized in lottery games. They are likely to take a short break immediately after this reinforcement before they begin producing dresses again. A variable ratio schedule is a schedule of reinforcement where a behavior is reinforced after a random number of responses.
An example of a fixed-ratio schedule would be a child being given a candy for every pages of a book they read. For example, they are given a candy after reading 5 pages, then 3 pages, then 7 pages, then 8 pages, etc. The unpredictable reinforcement motivates them to keep reading, even if they are not immediately reinforced after reading one page.
Ratio schedules — those linked to number of responses — produce higher response rates compared to interval schedules. As well, variable schedules produce more consistent behavior than fixed schedules; unpredictability of reinforcement results in more consistent responses than predictable reinforcement Myers, Resistance to extinction refers to how long a behavior continues to be displayed even after it is no longer being reinforced.
A response high in resistance to extinction will take a longer time to become completely extinct. Different schedules of reinforcement produce different levels of resistance to extinction.
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