Reinforcement Schedules & Procedures Flashcards
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Read the first 7 Reinforcement Schedules & Procedures flashcards as text
A learner is reinforced for the first correct response after a variable period of time (averaging 2 minutes). Which schedule is this?
Answer: Variable interval 2-minute
A variable interval (VI) schedule delivers reinforcement for the first response after a variable amount of time has passed, with the average interval specified.
What is the primary behavioral function of a differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) procedure?
Answer: Deliver reinforcement whenever the problem behavior does NOT occur during a set interval
DRO delivers reinforcement at the end of an interval during which the problem behavior has not occurred, regardless of what other behavior does occur.
A BCBA changes from CRF to a VR-5 schedule after a skill is acquired. If the learner shows a dramatic drop in responding, the most likely issue is:
Answer: The schedule was thinned too rapidly
Transitioning too quickly from CRF to a lean intermittent schedule can cause ratio strain, where responding breaks down because the shift in requirement is too abrupt.
In a tandem schedule, reinforcement is produced when the requirements of two schedules are met in sequence. What distinguishes tandem from chained schedules?
Answer: Tandem has no discriminative stimuli correlated with each component; chain does
In a tandem schedule, no external stimuli mark the transitions between components, whereas in a chained schedule, each component is correlated with a distinct SD.
Ratio strain is most likely to occur when:
Answer: The response requirement is increased too rapidly
Ratio strain occurs when the response-to-reinforcement ratio is increased too quickly, leading to pausing, erratic responding, or extinction-like patterns.
Which feature makes variable ratio schedules particularly effective in maintaining high rates of behavior?
Answer: The learner cannot predict exactly which response will produce reinforcement
The unpredictability of VR schedules prevents the organism from 'taking a break' after reinforcement, because any response could be the one that pays off.
A BCBA reduces the size of the DRO interval over time to make the criterion easier for the learner to meet initially. This strategy is known as:
Answer: Progressive DRO
Progressive DRO begins with a short interval and systematically lengthens it as the learner successfully meets the criterion, gradually increasing the demand.