Which schedule reinforces after a set number of responses?

Which schedule reinforces after a set number of responses?

• A. Variable-Ratio
• B. Continuous
• C. Fixed-Interval
• D. Fixed-Ratio

Answer: (D)

Reinforcement schedules tell you when a behavior will be rewarded. A set-number-of-responses schedule is fixed-ratio. The reinforcement comes after a specific, unchanging count of responses, like every fifth response. This makes the subject work quickly and consistently because the payoff is predictable, so they keep responding to reach the next reinforcement. After each reward, there’s often a brief pause before starting up again, and the length of that pause grows with the required number of responses. This stands in contrast to other schedules: variable-ratio delivers reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses, yielding very high and steady response rates with few pauses; continuous reinforcement rewards every single response, which quickly teaches the behavior but doesn’t last long if rewards stop; fixed-interval delivers reinforcement after a fixed amount of time, regardless of how many responses occur, leading to a pattern of increasing responses as the time for the next reinforcement approaches and a lull right after reinforcement.

Reinforcement schedules tell you when a behavior will be rewarded. A set-number-of-responses schedule is fixed-ratio. The reinforcement comes after a specific, unchanging count of responses, like every fifth response. This makes the subject work quickly and consistently because the payoff is predictable, so they keep responding to reach the next reinforcement. After each reward, there’s often a brief pause before starting up again, and the length of that pause grows with the required number of responses.

This stands in contrast to other schedules: variable-ratio delivers reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses, yielding very high and steady response rates with few pauses; continuous reinforcement rewards every single response, which quickly teaches the behavior but doesn’t last long if rewards stop; fixed-interval delivers reinforcement after a fixed amount of time, regardless of how many responses occur, leading to a pattern of increasing responses as the time for the next reinforcement approaches and a lull right after reinforcement.