module 4B Schedules of Reinforcement

A deeper discussion of schedules of reinforcement, following an overview of positive and negative reinforcement.
Focus on basic schedules encountered as an RBT (Registered Behavior Technician).

Continuous Reinforcement: Reinforcing the target behavior after every occurrence.
- After every response, a reinforcer is delivered.
Intermittent Reinforcement: Reinforcing the target response occasionally.
- Reinforcement does not follow every response.
- Broken down into four basic schedules: fixed interval, variable interval, fixed ratio, and variable ratio.

Time-based schedule.
Reinforcement is delivered after a specific, fixed amount of time.
The reinforcer is contingent upon the first response that occurs after the fixed interval has elapsed.
Responses within the interval are ignored.
Scalloped Pattern of Responding:
- Response rate increases as the end of the time period approaches.
- Example: Social initiations increasing as the end of a 60-second interval nears.
Example Chart Explanation
- x-axis: time in minutes
- y-axis: cumulative number of responses
- Dashed lines represent the end of each 5-minute interval, at which point reinforcement is delivered.
- Downward pips indicate the delivery of reinforcement.
- Increase in responding as the interval nears the end, followed by reinforcement.
Post-Reinforcement Pause: A pause in responding after reinforcement delivery, as additional responses immediately after reinforcement will not be reinforced.

Time-based schedule, similar to FI.
The time period for reinforcement delivery is variable.
Reinforcement is delivered contingent upon the first behavior following a variable time period.
Defined by an average time period (e.g., an average of five minutes).
- Intervals vary (e.g., 10 minutes, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 12 minutes). The average of the intervals are typically what the schedule is referred to as in this case 5 minutes.
Consistent Rate of Responding:
- Unlike the scalloped pattern in FI schedules, VI schedules result in a more consistent rate of responding across time.
Example Graph Explanation
- x-axis: time
- y-axis: cumulative number of responses
- Dashed lines denote variable intervals.
- Downward pips indicate reinforcement delivery.
- No scallop pattern; responding is more consistent.
Variable Interval is better if you're looking for a reinforcement schedule that will result in a more consistent rate of responding.

Response-based schedule (not time-based).
Reinforcement is determined by the number of responses.
Requires completion of a specific number of responses to produce a reinforcer.
Results in rapid rates of responding.
Denoted as FR (e.g., FR1, FR5).
- The number indicates the number of responses required for reinforcement.
- FR1: Reinforcement after every response (also known as continuous reinforcement).
- FR5: Reinforcement after every five responses.
Example Graph Explanation
- x-axis: time
- y-axis: cumulative number of responses
- Lines denote the number of responses required (e.g. FR 100)
- Downward pips: reinforcement delivery.
Post Reinforcement Pause: similar to the fixed interval schedule, you can see a little bit of a post reinforcement pause after each one of these deliveries of reinfrocement.

Response-based schedule (not time-based).
Requires completion of a variable number of responses for reinforcement.
Denoted as VR (e.g., VR3, VR5).
- The number indicates the average number of responses required for reinforcement.
- VR5: On average, five responses result in reinforcement; the actual number can vary (e.g., 10 responses, 1 response, 6 responses).
Results in rapid rates of responding.
Organisms don't know how many responses are needed, which sustains the rate of responding.
Example Graph Explanation
- x-axis: time
- y-axis: cumulative number of responses
- Lines indicate the number of responses required for reinforcement.
Rapid and Consistent Responding:
- Graph appears as a straight line.
- High response rates and consistency.
- This prevents that pot reinforcement pause from occurring.
These are probably the schedule of reinforcement that best map on to how we recive reinforcement in our day to day lives and environments.

As behavior repertoires expand, consequences and their schedules become more complex.
Everyday examples of basic schedules are rare due to the complexity of human behavior.
List of Complex Schedules:
- Progressive Schedules: The requirements for reinforcement increase over time (e.g., increasing time or number of responses).
- Concurrent Schedules: One schedule must be met before another can be initiated.
- Multiple Schedules: Different schedules are signaled at different times.
- Mixed Schedules: Similar to multiple but schedules are not signaled.
- Tandem Schedules: Schedules that occur in a specific sequence.
Seek supervision and additional information on complex schedules, as they are essential for advanced applications and understanding complex human behavior.