Schedules of

Reinforcement

The Effects of
Intermittently Reinforcing
Behavior
Schedules of
Reinforcement
Behavior is not necessarily going to be
reinforced every time it occurs
In real life, behavior is not often reinforced
each time it occurred
A reinforcement schedule is a rule stating
which instances of behavior, if any, will be
reinforced
Intermittent reinforcement refers to
reinforcement that is not administered to
each instance of a response
Advantages of
Intermittent
Reinforcement
Economizing on time and reinforcers when
reinforcement does not have to be
administered for each instance of a behavior
Building persistent behavior which is much
more resistant to extinction
Delays the effects of satiation since fewer
reinforcements need to be delivered
Types of Schedules
Continuous reinforcement: every instance of a
behavior is reinforced
Ratio schedules: Reinforcement is based on the
number of behaviors required
Interval schedules: Reinforcement is based on the
passage of time
Duration schedules: Reinforcement is based on the
continued performance of a response for a period
of time
Fixed schedules: The requirements for
reinforcement are always the same
Variable schedules: The requirements for
reinforcement change randomly
Schedules of
Reinforcement
Continuous
reinforcement refers
to reinforcement
being administered to
each instance of a
response
Intermittent
reinforcement lies
between continuous
reinforcement and
extinction
An Example of Continuous
Reinforcement
Each instance of a smile is reinforced
Fixed Ratio Reinforcement
A fixed number of responses is required for
each reinforcement
These schedules are designated FRn where
n=the number of responses required
These schedules usually produce rapid rates
of responding with short post-reinforcement
pauses
The length of the pause is directly
proportional to the number of responses
required
An example of Fixed Ratio
Reinforcement
Every fourth instance of a smile is reinforced
Graph of Fixed Ratio
Responding
Fixed Interval Reinforcement
These schedules require the passage of a specified
amount of time before reinforcement will be
delivered contingent on a response
No response during the interval is reinforced
The first response following the end of the interval is
reinforced
This schedule usually produces a scalloped pattern of
responding in which little behavior is produced early
in the interval, but as the interval nears an end, the
rate of responding increases
This also produces an overall low rate of responding
Graph of Fixed Interval
Responding
Variable Schedules of
Reinforcement
Variable schedules differ from fixed schedules in
that the behavioral requirement for reinforcement
varies randomly from one reinforcement to the
next
This usually produces a more consistent pattern of
responding without post-reinforcement pauses
Variable ratio schedules produce an overall high
consistent rate of responding
Variable interval schedules produce an overall low
consistent rate of responding
An Example of Variable Ratio
Reinforcement
Random instances of the behavior are
reinforced
Graph of Variable Ratio
Responding
Graph of Variable Interval
Responding
Fixed and Variable
Duration Schedules
The response is required to
continue for a specified or variable
period of time for reinforcement to
be delivered
These schedules produce a
continuous rate of behavior since
that is the requirement for
reinforcement
Extinction of Intermittently
Reinforced Behavior
The less often and the more inconsistently
behavior is reinforced, the longer it will take
to extinguish the behavior, other things
being equal
Behaviors that are reinforced on a “thin”
schedule are more resistant to extinction
than behaviors reinforced on a more dense
schedule
Behavior that is reinforced on a variable
schedule will be more resistant to extinction
than behavior reinforced on a fixed schedule
Reducing Reinforcer Density
Large amounts of behavior can be obtained
with very little reinforcement using intermittent
schedules
Initially, behavior needs dense schedules of
reinforcement to establish it, preferably
continuous reinforcement
As the behavior is strengthened, reinforcement
can be gradually reduced in frequency
Start with as low a density as the behavior can
tolerate and decrease the density as
responding is strengthened
If it is reduced too quickly, signs of extinction
may be observed
Response rate may slow down
Inconsistent responding may be seen
May see an increase in other responses
This is known as schedule strain
If this happens, retreat to a denser reinforce-
ment schedule
Adding a conditioned reinforcer in between
reinforcements can help bridge the gap
Variations of Reinforcement
Schedules I: Limited Hold
This is applied when a faster rate of responding
is desired with a fixed interval schedule
Response rate can be slowed down if response
is not made soon after the end of the interval
By limiting how long the reinforcer is available
following the end of the interval, responding
can be speeded up
If the response is not made within that period,
the reinforcement is lost and another is not
available until the end of the next interval
Variations of Reinforcement
Schedules II: Concurrent Schedules
Two or more basic schedules are operating
independently at the same time for two or
more different behaviors
The organism has a choice of behaviors and
schedules
This provides a better analog for real-life
situations because reinforcement is often
available for more than one response class
or from more than one source or both
Concurrent Schedules (cont’d)
When similar reinforcement is
scheduled for each of the concurrent
responses:
the response receiving the higher
frequency of reinforcement will increase in
rate
the response requiring the least effort will
increase in rate
the response providing the most
immediate reinforcement will increase in
rate
Matching Law and Maximizing
The proportion of responses made to each
schedule will be proportionate to the ratio of
reinforcers available under each schedule
Maximizing: subjects switch back and forth
between alternatives to receive maximum
reinforcers
Concurrent ratio schedules: little switching back
and forth
Concurrent interval schedules: the subjects can
earn close to all of the reinforcements on both
schedules
Variations of Reinforcement
Schedules II: Chained Schedules
Two or more basic schedule requirements
are in place, one schedule occurring at a
time but in a specified sequence
There is usually a cue that is correlated with
a specific schedule and is present as long as
the schedule is in effect
Reinforcement for responding in the 1st
component is the presentation of the 2nd
Reinforcement does not occur until the final
component is performed
Variations of Reinforcement
Schedules III: Conjunctive
Schedules
The requirements for two or more schedules
must be met simultaneously
Task/interval interactions
When the task requirements are high and the
interval is short, steady work throughout the
interval will be the result
When task requirements are low and the interval
long, many nontask behaviors will be observed