Question

You manage employees in several cities, and while you try to visit the various offices as much as possible, your travel schedule is unpredictable. When you do see an employee performing a desirable behavior, you are quick to praise that person. What reinforcement schedule are you using, and is it likely to be effective in promoting desirable behavior

Answer 1

Variable ratio schedule; effective

Step-by-step explanation:

Reinforcement schedules are designed to introduce or remove reinforcers of punishment after observation of operational behaviour of a given set of people.

There are 3 types: ratio schedule, interval schedule, and extinction schedule.

The most effective type of reinforcement schedule is the variable ratio schedule.

It involves introduction of reinforcers after a particular number of observed responses from the subjects, also for subjects that are exhibiting favourable behaviour reinforcers are removed.

This is more efficient because more focus is given to those people that are lagging behind.

For interval schedule there continues to be a schedule despite variability in behaviour across employees. This is inefficient and stressful.

Variable ratio schedule is exemplified in this instance where visits are variable, and employee performing a desirable behaviour are quick to be praised.