schedules of reinforcement

• continuous reinforcement

  a reinforcer is always applied after a certain behaviour (e.g: every time a child completes a chore, they get a payment)

  once you establish behaviour with continuous, you maintain it with partial
• partial reinforcement

  helps maintain a learnt behaviour
• fixed ratio reinforcement

  behaviour is reinforced only after a certain amount time (e.g: dog gets a treat after sitting 3 times)
• fixed interval reinforcement

  behaviour is reinforced after a certain behaviour has happened over a certain amount of time (e.g: a teacher gets paid every month if they complete their job)
• variable ratio reinforcement

  behaviour is reinforced after an unpredictable number of times (e.g: slot machines with gambling)
• variable interval reinforcement

  behaviour is reinforced after a certain amount of time has passed (e.g: a child gets their pocket money at the end of the day if they have completed their chores)
• behaviour modification

  using operant conditioning to change a behaviour
• shaping

  how to encourage complex behaviours such as: walking in a certain way, learning a dance
• successive approximations

  behaviours similar to the target behaviour are reinforced - reinforcement only continues when behaviour becomes closer to the target
• strength (evaluating schedules of reinforcement as explanations for learning)

  • behaviour modification used for a range of treatments
  • lovaas method involves intensive reinforcement, shaping and communication to help normalise aspects of behaviour of children with ASD to integrate into society better
  • operant conditioning - used to encourage children to learn certain behaviours
• weakness

  • understanding properties of reinforcement does not provide a full account for human motivation learning
  • humans are motivated by a range of factors, OC and reinforcement provide a rich account of extrinsic motivation that includes external rewards but not able to explain motivational factors for learning that are intrinsic such as enjoyment people have for certain tasks
  • reinforcement only provide partial explanation for human behaviour
• strength

  • research support
  • latham and dosset (1978) found that beaver trappers responded better to a variable ratio pay (could get $4 per beaver if they correctly guessed colour of marble) as compared to fixed ratio pay (consistently get $1 per beaver)
  • firm evidence that partial reinforcement schedules are more desirable than fixed ratio reinforcement schedules