Reinforcement Schedules Flashcards
(24 cards)
what is reinforcement?
anything that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again
what are reinforcement factors?
- Should only be available when the target behavior occurs
- Must be delivered immediately after the desired behavior
- Should vary to prevent satiation
- Shouldn’t harm the individual’s health
what is continuous reinforcement?
- reinforcement after every instance of target behavior
- best for establishing new behaviors
what is intermittent reinforcement?
- Reinforce behavior only sometimes
- prevents satiations, and prepares for more natural enforcement
why do we use intermittent reinforcement?
- to help maintain behavior without constantly monitoring
- helps transition behaviors to naturally occuring reinforcement
- prevents exention
what are the advantages of intermittent reinforcement?
- prevents fatigue/satiation
- teaches delayed gratification
what are the 2 schedule types?
- ratio schedule
- Interval schedule
what is a ratio schedule?
- reinforcement after a set number of behaviors
1. fixed ratio (FR): reinforce after a specifc number of responses
2. variable ratio (VR): reinforcement after a variable mumber of responses
what is a interval schedule?
- reinforcement after a certian amount of time
1. fixed interval (FI): reinforce after a fixed amount of time
2. variable interval (VI): reinforce after a variable amount of time
what are the advantages of a fixed ratio schedule?
best for stead behavior rates and new behavior
what are the disadvatanges of a fixed ratio schedule?
- post reinforcement pause: behavior may temporarily stop after reinforcement
- Satiation: the person may get tired of the reinforcer if it’s to frequent
give an example of a Fixed ratio
- workplace: pay for each unit produced
- video games: tokens for every few actions completed
- academics: complete a set number of task before a break
what behavior patterns can be seen with a fixed interval schedule?
- behavior tends to increase toward the end of aninterval
- begining of the interval sees less grequent behavior
what are fixed interval schedules useful for?
reinforcing behaviors that need to be maintained over time
what are the key features of a variable ratio schedule?
- high, steady rates of behavior
- short pause after reinforcement
- reinforcement is provided after an average amount of responses
- hard to predict when reinforcemnt will occure
what are the key features of a variable interval schedule?
- steady, slow rate of behavior
- minimal post-reinforcement pause
- average time intervals used
- resistant to extinction; behavior continues even without predictable reinforcement
what are the varations of basic schedules of reinforcement?
- reinforcing diffrent rates of responding
2.thining reinforcement - ratio strain
- differential reinforcement
- matching law
what is reinforcing different rates of responding?
behavior issues often stem from rates of response (too fast/slow)
example: raising hand in class is good, but to much is not
what is thinning reinforcement?
Gradually reduce reinforcement frequency to lessen dependence on external reinforcers
shifting from more to less (FR3, FI5)
what is ratio strain?
Occurs when reinforcement is thinned too quickly which can lead to behavior pauses or stopping
what is the solution to ratio strain?
thinning reinforcement gradually to avoid overwhelming the learner (FR1 to FR2)
define differential reinforcement
Reinforcing only the target behaviors and applying extinction to all others (reduces undesirable behaviors)
what are the types of differential reinforcement?
- Differential reinforcement of high rates (DRH): Reinforce when behavior happens faster
- Differential reinforcement of low rates (DRL): Reinforce when behavior happens more slowly
what is the matching law?
people will engage more in the behavior that provides the most reinforcement
