complex schedules of reinforcement

Basic Schedules are

response DEPENDENT schedules AND response INDEPENDENT schedules

Response Dependent schedules

• Fixed Ratio

• Variable Ratio

• Fixed Interval

• Variable Interval

response independent schedules

Fixed time and Variable time

fixed ratio

Number of responses required for reinforcement is constant

Variable Ratio

A changing number of responses is required for reinforcement.

Fixed Interval

First response after constant time interval has expired is reinforced.

Variable Interval

First response after variable time interval has expired will be 

Fixed time

after a fixed amount of time, a consequence is delivered regardless of responding

Variable time

after an average amount of time, a consequence is delivered regardless of responding

Differential Reinforcement

reinforcement of some responses but not others

Reinforcement may depend on…

intensive, temporal, topographical, or other properties of the responses.

Differential schedules based on the temporal location of responses:

• Differential reinforcement of Low Rates (DRL)

  • You want low rates 

• Differential reinforcement of High Rates (DRH) 

  • You want high rates

DRL stands for…

Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates

what is DRL

a response is reinforced only if it is preceded by a minimum time without a response

• Sounds like FI, except if a response occurs before the specified time expires, the interval is reset.

• This procedure is used to slow down responses.

  • Have to wait a certain amount of time until you can respond. If you respond before your wait time has finished you have to restart 

• Application

  • DRL schedules are used to slow rapid eating.

DRL 5 s

the first peck that occurs after the passage of 5 s is reinforced.

DRH stands for…

Differential Reinforcement of High Rates

what is DRH

a response is reinforced only if it occurs before the specified time interval since the previous response expires

• Used when a desirable behavior is occurring, but is not frequent enough (want shorter IRTs).

  • A response occurs before the reinforcement, and it is then reinforced, if the response is reinforced after the time interval it will not occur as frequently and you won't earn an actual reinforcement because you missed the time interval 

• Application

  • Use DRH to speed up the frequency of completing math problems.

DRH 10 s

Lever pressing is reinforced only if a lever press occurs less than 10 s since the last lever press.

Multiple Schedules (Multi)

two of more basic schedules (components) alternate, each during a different stimulus

• Schedules may alternate after a reinforcer is earned

• Or may alternate based on time

• All schedules are presented on the same manipulandum

• Constantly in a loop 

• After they complete EACH

Advantages of Multiple Schedules

Can measure behavior under a variety of conditions

• Show booths scalloped pattern (FI) and break-and-run pattern (FR)

• Use this to test drug effects on different behavioral patterns

  • Drugs often have different effects based on patterns of behavior

  • Used strictly for experimental purposes 

  • CAN be used on humans in an experimental context, but is not used in the applied world

Mixed Schedule (Mix)

two or more basic schedules (components) alternate, all with the same stimulus

• Schedules may alternate after a reinforcer is earned

• Or may alternate based on time

• All schedules are presented on the same manipulandum

• No signal change

• Longer time for understanding and figuring out an experiment

Advantages of mixed schedules

Can measure behavior under a variety of conditions.

• Show both scalloped pattern (FI) and break-and-run pattern (FR).

• Test behavior under different conditions of reinforcement without using different stimuli.

  • Eliminates the possibility of color bias 

  • The more time they spend on a mixed schedule, the more likely they are to figure it out

Chained Schedule (Chain)

reinforcement is delivered after successive completion of TWO OR MORE basic schedules (components)

• Each schedule is associated with a different stimulus.

• All schedules are presented on the same manipulandum.

• Signal change

• Reinforcement happens after ALL schedules are completed (at the end)

Advantages of chained schedule

Can measure behavior under a variety of conditions

• Show both scalloped pattern (FI) and break-and-run pattern (FR).

• Stimulus changes have some reinforcing effects.

  • The organism will work just to change the color.

  • Stimulus change is not as reinforcing as food.

• Behavior that is further away from reinforcement (earlier components) is less resistant to EXT than behavior that is closer to reinforcement (later components).

 the MOST POWERFUL because it's LAST

ORANGE (closest to red)

Tandem Schedule (tand)

reinforcement is delivered after successive completion of two or more basic schedules (components)

• Each schedule is associated with the same stimulus

• All schedules are presented on the same manipulandum

• It takes the longest time

• No signal change

• Reinforcement only occurs at the end 

• The schedule changes

Advantages of tandem schedules

Can measure behavior under a variety of conditions

• Show both scalloped pattern (FI) and break-and-run pattern (FR).

• Responding is faster than under a chained schedule with the same basic schedules.

• Test behavior under different conditions of reinforcement without using different stimuli.

  • Eliminates the possibility of color bias.

SR

reinforcement

Concurrent Schedule (conc)

two or more basic schedules are available simultaneously

• Different schedules are usually presented on different manipulanda. 

• Different schedules may have different stimuli.

• Provides organisms with choices

• Allows us to ask questions about how organisms choose between different options and how those choices are affected by reinforcement variables. 

• Basic way to study choice

  • TWO SCHEDULES ARE PRESENTED AT THE SAME TIME

  • This contrasts with the other four because those one only have one schedule, THIS ONE IS CHOOSING ONE OR THE OTHER OF THE TWO SCHEDULES PRESENTED

TWO SCHEDULES ARE PRESENTED AT THE SAME TIME AND CHOOSING ONE OR BOTH

DRH

short times between responses

DRL

long times between responses

fixed time and variable time

independent response

SR-

negative reinforcement

SR+

positive reinforcement

S delta triangle

paired with extinction

SD

discriminative stimulus

intermittent

every few

continuous

every response is reinforced

all basic schedules are…

intermittent

extinction burst is a…

side effect

continuous are

easier to implement extinction

intermittent are

harder to implement extinction

exteroceptive stimuli is a…

signal

A — B — C

(consequence happens)

SD — lever press — reinforcement

A — B — C

(consequence doesn’t happen)

S DELTA — lever press — no reinforcement occurs

multiple (SR+ —> SR+)

• CHANGE in signal (exteroceptive stimuli)

• after EACH schedule is completed

chain (schedule —> SR+)

• CHANGE in signal (exteroceptive stimuli)

• after ALL schedules are completed

mixed (SR+ —> SR+)

• NO signal change

• after EACH schedule is completed

tandem (schedule —> SR+)

• NO signal change

• after ALL schedules are completed