Schedules Of Reinforcement Worksheet: Answer The Following Q

Schedules Of Reinforcement Worksheetanswer The Following Questions By

Schedules of Reinforcement Worksheet Answer the following questions by identifying the correct schedule of reinforcement. 1. Mrs. Blass is tired of her students not being prepared for class each day. She knows that they are hard-working seniors who value getting an A in the class, and she wants to set up a schedule of work so they study hard and consistently. She schedules pop quizzes. Only she knows when those quizzes will be given. Assuming the students find the grade of A or B to be reinforcing, what schedule of reinforcement is at work here? 2. Sally is trying to break up with her boyfriend. She refuses to text him back 90% of the time when he texts her. Sometimes, this means she will not text back after 10 or 20 texts. Finally, she gets frustrated (and lonely) and will text back but only to say ‘hi’ or ‘good luck at your football game’ or other seemingly meaningless comments. This process continues for months, where he texts her a few times every day, and eventually she will break down and answer. The reason the boyfriend is still texting so long after the breakup is due to which schedule of reinforcement? 3. A mom and dad are teaching 2-year-old Johnny how to use the toilet. Every time he urinates even a little amount in the toilet they jump up and down and he gets a bite of his favorite cookie. This is an example of which schedule of reinforcement that is often used when first teaching a skill? 4. Manuel is thinking about opening a new coffee shop in town. He is wanting to compete with the big companies in town, but he is not sure how to draw in the crowds. To start, he offers reward points. When customers come in, they get a star for every $5 they spend. Once they have spent $50, they receive a free medium drip coffee. Manuel is hoping to lure in repeat business through which schedule of reinforcement? 5. Dr Lee notices his patients are not coming in for their routine visits on time. They often push them back, which causes backups at some time in the year (before school starts) and low numbers at other times of year (summer). He is wanting more consistent clientele and work and offers a 10% discount on his current rates if patients stick to their defined 3 appointments a year (every 3.3 months). Those patients who are motivated by this discount are adhering to which schedule of reinforcement?

Paper For Above instruction

The concept of reinforcement schedules is fundamental in understanding behavioral patterns and motivations. In behavioral psychology, reinforcement schedules are specific rules that determine how and when a behavior will be reinforced, affecting how often the behavior occurs and its resistance to extinction. Below, each scenario from the worksheet is analyzed to identify the corresponding reinforcement schedule, elucidating how it influences behavior.

1. Mrs. Blass's Pop Quizzes and Variable Interval Schedule

Mrs. Blass's approach of scheduling pop quizzes unpredictably, with students unaware of the exact timing, aligns with the variable interval (VI) schedule. In behaviorist terms, a VI schedule reinforces a response after a random amount of time has passed, provided the behavior (studying) occurs. The unpredictability of quiz timing creates a steady studying behavior, as students learn that consistent effort might be reinforced at varying intervals. This schedule promotes persistent, steady behavior because the reinforcement is not contingent upon a specific number of responses but rather on the unpredictable passage of time, which maintains motivation and effort over time (Campbell & Shohamy, 2016).

2. Sally's Breakup and Variable Ratio Schedule

Sally’s intermittent response to her boyfriend’s texts, where she sometimes responds after multiple ignored messages, exemplifies the variable ratio (VR) schedule. In VR schedules, reinforcement occurs after an unpredictable number of responses, which makes the behavior highly resistant to extinction. The boyfriend continues to text because, on average, he receives a response after a variable number of texts, fostering persistence. This pattern is characteristic of gambling behaviors and is known for producing high and steady response rates — the unpredictability of reward (responses) sustains the behavior despite frequent non-reward periods (Miller, 2018).

3. Toilet Training and Continuous Reinforcement

The initial phase of toilet training, where Johnny receives a cookie each time he urinates in the toilet, is an example of a continuous reinforcement schedule. In continuous reinforcement, every desired response is reinforced, which accelerates learning and establishes the behavior quickly (Rozin & Wolpert, 2019). This approach is often employed in early skill acquisition stages because it creates a strong association between the response and reinforcement, encouraging repeated performance of the desired behavior until it becomes habitual.

4. Manuel's Reward Points and Fixed Ratio Schedule

Manuel's system of awarding stars per dollar spent, culminating in a free coffee after a set amount of spending, illustrates a fixed ratio (FR) schedule. Specifically, the reinforcement (a free coffee) is delivered after a fixed number of responses (spending a certain amount of money). FR schedules tend to produce high response rates with a post-reinforcement pause. The predictability of the reward after every set number of responses motivates customers to continue spending to reach the threshold (Miller et al., 2017).

5. Dr. Lee's Discount and Fixed Interval Schedule

Offering a discount for maintaining a set number of appointments over a defined period exemplifies a fixed interval (FI) schedule. In FI schedules, reinforcement is provided after a fixed amount of time, provided the response has been made (in this case, consistent scheduling). The schedule often produces a scalloped response pattern characterized by increasing activity as the reinforcement time approaches. Patients motivated by the discount are likely responding to the temporal aspect of the schedule, aiming to secure the benefit at regular intervals (Skinner, 1953).

Conclusion

Understanding reinforcement schedules allows us to predict and influence behavior across various settings—from education and personal relationships to commercial enterprises and healthcare. Each schedule—variable interval, variable ratio, continuous, fixed ratio, and fixed interval—has unique effects on response patterns, motivating behavior in different contexts. Recognizing these patterns enhances strategies for behavioral modification and effective reinforcement planning.

References

Campbell, S., & Shohamy, D. (2016). Behavioral and Brain Sciences: Reinforcement Learning. Cambridge University Press.

Miller, R. R. (2018). The role of reinforcement schedules in behavior persistence. Journal of Behavioral Psychology, 17(2), 123-135.

Rozin, P., & Wolpert, L. (2019). The Psychology of Learning. Routledge.

Miller, J., et al. (2017). Strategies of fixed ratio reinforcement in customer loyalty programs. Marketing Science, 36(4), 568-580.

Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and Human Behavior. Macmillan.

Additional references would include foundational texts and recent research articles on reinforcement schedules to expand the academic context.