Reinforcement schedules

• Ratio-based schedules of reinforcement are those where the reinforcer is given after a certain number of behaviours.
• Interval-based schedules of reinforcement are those where the reinforcer is given after a certain amount of time.
• Fixed Ratio is a type of schedule where the reinforcer is given after a fixed number of behaviours.
• Variable Ratio is a type of schedule where the reinforcer is given after an unpredictable number of behaviours.
• Fixed Interval is a type of schedule where the reinforcer is given after a fixed amount of time.
• Variable Interval is a type of schedule where the reinforcer is given after an unpredictable amount of time.
• A behaviour is continuously reinforced when the reinforcer always follows the behaviour.
• The alternative to continuous reinforcement is partial reinforcement, where the reinforcement is irregular.
• In a reinforcement schedule, we can vary either the ratio of behaviour to reinforcement or the interval between reinforcements.
• Behaviour modification is the use of operant conditioning techniques to change the frequency of behaviour.
• Sports psychology example: Reinforcement is used to improve technique and reduce dangerous behaviour.
• Ford (2017) assessed head impact in American footballers and used individual mentoring to provide reinforcement.
• The mean impact intensity dropped, thus improving safety.
• Shaping is a behaviour modification technique used to encourage complex behaviour by reinforcing successive approximations of the behaviour.
• Shaping occurs as children acquire language: babble -> praised -> words.
• Hundreds of lab and field experiments have compared the effects of different partial reinforcement schedules on animal and human learning, with results consistently showing the properties of partial reinforcement schedules.
• Beaver trappers responded better to variable ratio pay where they received $4, compared to fixed ratio pay of $1.
• Understanding the properties of reinforcement doesn't provide a complete account of human motivation.
• Humans are motivated by a range of factors - reinforcement schedules are great examples of extrinsic motivation.
• Our behaviour is also a result of intrinsic motives, such as having fun which would encourage the behaviour.
• Reinforcement schedules only provide a partial explanation for human behaviour.