RBT - Registered Behavior Technician Reinforcement Principles and Schedules 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client receives reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses, sometimes after 2 responses and sometimes after 10. Which schedule is this?
- Fixed ratio schedule
- Variable ratio schedule (Correct answer)
- Fixed interval schedule
- Variable interval schedule
Correct answer: Variable ratio schedule
A variable ratio (VR) schedule delivers reinforcement after an unpredictable, varying number of responses. The average number may be specified (e.g., VR5), but the exact count changes each time, which is why slot machines are a classic example.
Question 2: Which of the following BEST describes negative reinforcement?
- Delivering an aversive stimulus to decrease a behavior
- Removing an aversive stimulus to increase a future behavior (Correct answer)
- Withholding a preferred item to decrease a behavior
- Adding a preferred stimulus to increase a future behavior
Correct answer: Removing an aversive stimulus to increase a future behavior
Negative reinforcement involves removing or reducing an aversive (unpleasant) stimulus following a behavior, which increases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again in the future. The word 'negative' refers to subtraction, not something bad.
Question 3: An RBT reinforces a client's appropriate requesting every time it occurs during initial skill acquisition. What schedule is this, and why is it used at this stage?
- Variable ratio; because it produces the highest rates of responding
- Fixed interval; because it is easiest to implement
- Continuous reinforcement (CRF); because it most efficiently builds a new behavior (Correct answer)
- Variable interval; because it creates the most resistance to extinction
Correct answer: Continuous reinforcement (CRF); because it most efficiently builds a new behavior
Continuous reinforcement (CRF) delivers reinforcement after every single occurrence of the target behavior. It is the most effective schedule for establishing a new skill because it creates a clear and consistent connection between the behavior and the consequence.
Question 4: A behavior that was maintained on a continuous reinforcement schedule is placed on extinction. Compared to a behavior maintained on an intermittent schedule, how quickly will it extinguish?
- More slowly, because it received more total reinforcement
- At the same rate, because the extinction procedure is identical
- More quickly, because the organism easily detects the change in contingency (Correct answer)
- More quickly, because intermittent schedules always weaken behavior
Correct answer: More quickly, because the organism easily detects the change in contingency
Behaviors reinforced on a CRF schedule extinguish more rapidly because the organism quickly detects that the expected reinforcer is no longer available. Intermittent schedules create greater resistance to extinction because non-reinforced responses already occur within normal experience.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of a differential reinforcement procedure that specifically targets increasing the time between occurrences of a problem behavior?
- DRO - Differential Reinforcement of Other behavior
- DRI - Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible behavior
- DRH - Differential Reinforcement of High rates
- DRL - Differential Reinforcement of Low rates (Correct answer)
Correct answer: DRL - Differential Reinforcement of Low rates
DRL (Differential Reinforcement of Low rates) provides reinforcement when a behavior occurs at or below a specified rate or when a minimum amount of time has elapsed between responses. It is used to reduce a behavior without eliminating it entirely.
Question 6: An RBT is fading a dense reinforcement schedule for a client who has mastered a skill. She moves from FR1 to FR3, then to FR5 over several sessions. What principle guides this process?
- Stimulus generalization
- Schedule thinning (Correct answer)
- Errorless teaching
- Behavioral momentum
Correct answer: Schedule thinning
Schedule thinning is the gradual process of shifting from a dense (more frequent) reinforcement schedule to a thinner (less frequent) one. Moving from FR1 → FR3 → FR5 reduces the rate of reinforcement while maintaining the target behavior, bridging the gap toward more natural reinforcement schedules.
RBT - Registered Behavior Technician Reinforcement Principles and Schedules 1
A client receives reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses, sometimes after 2 responses and sometimes after 10.
Which schedule is this?