Ch 18 Time-Dependent Schedules

Front 1

Fixed-interval (FI) schedule of reinforcement

Back 1

-A reinforcer is contingent on
-the first response,
-after a fixed interval of time,
-since the last opportunity for reinforcement

Front 2

What does a fixed-interval schedule produce when it comes to responding?

Back 2

Fixed-interval scallop

Front 3

Fixed-interval Scallop

Back 3

-A fixed-interval schedule often produces a scallop --
-a gradual increase in the rate of responding,
-with responding occurring at a high rate
-just before reinforcement is available.
-No responding occurs for some time after reinforcement.

Front 4

What did Joe do with his term paper?

Back 4

He did not work on it until the 8th week, and then he worked increasingly more on it as the deadline neared

Front 5

Was Joe's term-paper schedule a fixed-interval?

Back 5

No.

Front 6

What were the six differences between an FI and the term-paper schedule?

Back 6

1) Early responding affects the term-paper, not an FI
2) The amount of reinforcer increases with work in a term-paper, not an FI
3)An early response produces nothing in an FI
4) Term paper schedules have calendars and clocks
5) Term-paper schedules have deadlines
6) Term-paper schedules involve reinforcers that are too delayed to reinforce the causal response

Front 7

FI vs TP

Does early responding affect anything?

Back 7

FI: no
TP: yes

Front 8

FI vs TP

Do you get more if you work harder?

Back 8

FI: no
TP: yes

Front 9

FI vs TP

Is the relevant response class clear?

Back 9

FI: yes
TP: no

Front 10

FI vs TP

Are there calendars and clocks?

Back 10

FI: no
TP: yes

Front 11

FI vs TP

Is there a deadline?

Back 11

FI: no
TP: yes

Front 12

FI vs TP

Is the reinforcer too delayed?

Back 12

FI: no
TP: yes

Front 13

Is a Tv schedule a fixed-interval?

Back 13

No

Front 14

Why isn't a tv schedule a fixed-interval?

Back 14

Because you have a calendar and a clock

and a deadline.

The contingency is avoidance of the loss of the opportunity to receive a reinforcer

Front 15

Is a paycheck schedule fixed interval?

Back 15

No. There is no fixed interval scalop

Front 16

What is the Seinfeld example of a fixed interval?

Back 16

You're watching Seinfeld, but a commercial comes on
-You switch to Jerry Springer
-You check back on Seinfeld's channel with increasing frequency as the commercial interval wears on
-Eventually, one of your flips is rewarded with Seinfeld

If all of the commercial breaks are the same length, it is a fixed interval

Front 17

What was the superstition in the pigeons?

Back 17

A response key was not hooked up to the food hopper, but the hopper was connected to a timer that was set for repeating intervals of 15 seconds.

Every 15 seconds the hopper would open and be available regardless of what the bird had been doing

One of the birds made a counterclockwise turn at the moment the food hopper became available. After that response was reinforced, the bird started making more and more counterclockwise turns.

Other birds established head-tossing or pendulum motions

Front 18

Fixed-time schedule of reinforcer delivery

Back 18

-A reinforcer is delivered
-after the passage of a fixed period of time,
-independently of the response.

Front 19

Superstitious Behavior

Back 19

-Behaving as if the response causes
-some specific outcome,
-when it really does not

Front 20

Variable-interval (VI) schedule of reinforcement

Back 20

-A reinforcer is contingent on
-the first response
-after a variable interval of time
-since the last opportunity for reinforcement

Front 21

What kind of response rates do VI schedules generate?

Back 21

Consistent response rates;

slopes tend to be even and uniform;

not rapid

Front 22

Variable-interval responding

Back 22

-Variable-interval schedules produce
-a moderate rate of responding,
-with almost no postreinforcement pausing

Front 23

What are the four classic schedules of intermittent reinforcement?

Back 23

1) Fixed-ratio
2) Fixed-interval
3) Variable-ratio
4) Variable-interval

Front 24

Resistance to Extinction

Back 24

-The number of responses or
-the amount of time
-before a response extinguishes

Front 25

Resistance to extinction and intermittent reinforcement

Back 25

-Intermittent reinforcement
-makes the response
-more resistant to extinction
-than does continuous reinforcement

Front 26

What is the difference between Fixed interval (FI) and Fixed time schedules?

Back 26

Fixed time schedules do not require a response

Front 27

Reinforcer

Back 27

-Any stimulus, event, or condition
-whose presentation immediately follows a response and
-increases the frequency of that response

Front 28

Reinforcement

Back 28

-Response-contingent,
-immediate
-presentation of
-a reinforcer
-resulting in an increased frequency of that response

Front 29

What's the relation between rate of responding and rate of reinforcement?

Back 29

-With ratio schedules, the faster you respond, the more reinforcers you will get per hour

-With interval schedules, responding faster doesn't help; you only have to respond faster than the shortest interval

Front 30

How did Max get rid of Ted's behavior?

Back 30

He used a penalty interval schedule;

he gave Ted 12 tokens to be taken away for each time he misbehaved; each token represented 5 minutes of missed lunch and extra minutes in class

A prerecorded beep went off every 5 minutes to remind Max to check on Ted

It only took 3 class sessions to make Ted obedient

Front 31

Principle of resistance to extinction

Back 31

Intermittent reinforcement makes behavior more resistant to extinction than does continuous reinforcement

Front 32

Why does intermittent reinforcement increase resistance to extinction?

Back 32

Stimulus generalization

Because extinction and intermittent reinforcement are more similar (both have periods where responses will produce no reinforcement)

Front 33

What was the example of limited hold in the pit?

Back 33

Manuel was a prisoner in a labor camp;

the wind gust blowing the curtain in the tower revealing the commandant's daughter was the limited hold

he had to look up more often because the opportunity to see the lady was available for a limited time

The lady turned out to be a dressmaker's dummy

Front 34

Limited hold

Back 34

the opportunity to produce the reinforcer is available for a limited time;

a time period during which the response will produce the after condition; responding either before or after the limited hold will have no effect

Front 35

What effect does a limited hold have on response rates?

Back 35

Responses occur at a high rate in order to produce all the reinforcers that become available

Front 36

Deadline

Back 36

the time before which we should make a response or a set of responses or complete a task

Front 37

When should you respond in a 10 minute fixed interval with a 1 minute limited hold?

Back 37

From the 10th minute to the 11th minute (the limited hold)

Front 38

Can an S^D be associated with both a deadline and a limited hold?

Back 38

Yes