Chapter 6 Shedules Of Reinforcement And Choice Behavior

Question 0

Ratio schedule

Answer 0

A simple schedule of reinforcement
Reinforcement depends only in the NUMBER of responses the organism has preformed
Count the number of times the response occurs and then deliver the reinforcer

Question 1

Schedule of reinforcement

Answer 1

A program or rule that determines which occurrence of a response is followed by the reinforcer

Question 2

Continuous reinforcement

Answer 2

(CRF) the required response number is one for every occurrence of the instrumental response

Question 3

Partial or intermittent reinforcement

Answer 3

Situations in which responding is reinforced only some of the time

Question 4

Fixed ratio schedule

Answer 4

Fr for short
The exact number of responses made before reinforcement
If ten the called FR10

Question 5

Cumulative Record

Answer 5

A special way of representing how a response is repeated over time
A steady and high rate of responding once the behavior starts but may be a pause before the start of the required number of responses

Question 6

Post reinforcement pause

Answer 6

The zero rate of responding that occurs right after reinforcement

Question 7

Ratio run

Answer 7

The high and steady rate of responding that completed each ratio

Question 8

Ratio strain

Answer 8

If the ratio is drastically increased the animal is likely to pause periodically before the completion of the ratio requirement.
Sometimes so large animal stops
See zombie farm

Question 9

Variable ratio schedule

Answer 9

A ratio schedule but with a different number of responses are required to deliver each reinforcer
Ex.gambling

Question 10

Interval schedules

Answer 10

Responses are reinforced only if the response occurs after a certain amount of time

Question 11

Fixed interval schedule

Answer 11

The amount of time that has to pass before a response is reinforced
Is constant from one trial to the next
Ex.washing machine

Question 12

Fixed interval scallop

Answer 12

Patterns of responding that develop with fixed interval reinforcement schedules
Ex) studying for exams

Question 13

Variable interval schedule

Answer 13

Responses reinforced if they occur after a variable interval after the start of the trial or the schedule cycle

Question 14

Limited hold

Answer 14

Reinforcement on how long a reinforcer remains available

Can be added to both fixed interval and variable interval schedules

Question 15

Inter-Response Time (IRT)

Answer 15

The interval between one response and the next

An explanation for higher response rates on ratio scheduling

Question 16

What sort of Inter-response time does ratio scheduling favor

Answer 16

Short because animal controls speed(which is usually quick) between responses

Question 17

Concurrent Schedules

Answer 17

Two schedules are in effect at the same time (concurrently) and the subject is free to switch from one response to another.
Pigeon with two keys
Allow for continuous measurement of choice because organism is free to change response

Question 18

Relative rate if responding

Answer 18

A1/(A1+A2)

If equal rate between two then =.5

Question 19

Matching Law

Answer 19

The relative rate of responding matches the relative rate of reinforcement

Question 20

Formulas for matching law

Answer 20

Bl/(Bl+Br) = rl/(rl+rr) 
Where B is rates of behavior 
l is left key r is right key 
r is rates of reinforcement 
Or 
Bl/Br = rl/rr

Question 21

Accommodating matching law

Answer 21

Bl/Br= b(rl/rr)^s
s= sensitivity of choice
(Perfect matching s=1)
b=response bias

Question 22

Under matching

Answer 22

Reduced sensitivity of choice behavior to the relative rates if reinforcement
By making s less than one

Question 23

Molar theories

Answer 23

Theory of matching that ignores the individual responses and deals with the overall distribution (think mods in math)

Question 24

Molecular theory

Answer 24

What happens at each individual response and view the matching net relations of as a set of net results of individual choices

Question 25

What does the idea that animals maximize reinforcement explain

Answer 25

It explains the choice behavior of molar and molecular levels of analysis
As it is proven with both ratio and interval schedules that animals want to get as much reinforcement as possible

Question 26

Why does Molar Maximizing work?

Answer 26

Organisms are lazy and can put in less effort but still gain a large amount of reinforcers through the interval scheduling

Question 27

Melioration

Answer 27

Operates on a scale between molecular and molar
People don’t make once and for all decisions but slip into habits
Making something as good as it can be in the LONG RUN

Question 28

Local rate

Answer 28

Calculated only over a time period a subject devotes to a particular choice alternative
Frequency of responses divided by time responding to those responses

Question 29

Overall rate

Answer 29

A calculated by dividing the frequency of responses to a by the entire duration

Question 30

Concurrent Chain Schedule of reinforcement

Answer 30

A complex reinforcement procedure in which the participant is permitted to choose during the first link which of several simple reinforcement schedules will be in effect in the second link. Once a choice is made the rejected alternatives are unavailable until the start of the next trial
A choice with commitment

Question 31

Choice link

Answer 31

First stage in concurrent chain schedule
Gets to choose between two alternatives
Responding here does not receive direct reinforcement but leads to one of 2 different options for it

Question 32

Terminal link

Answer 32

The second and final stage of concurrent chain schedules
Where reinforcement is received
2 different terminals links per experiment with different schedules

Question 33

What did the pigeons show about studies of self control

Answer 33

When it was a direct choice procedure there was no self control and they’d choose a small reward
But if it was concurrent schedule procedure they would choose large reward which showed how small rewards out of site easier to choose larger one

Question 34

Value discounting fiction

Answer 34

Describes the decrease in value of a reward based on the time waiting for it 
V= M/( 1+ KD)
V- value of reinforcer
M- reward magnitude 
K- discounting rate parameter
D- reward delay