Final answer:
The giving of a free dessert after five visits to a restaurant is an example of a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement, a concept from the study of operant conditioning in psychology.
Step-by-step explanation:
After you eat dinner at your favorite restaurant five times, they give you a free dessert. This is an example of a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement. In psychology, especially in the study of learning and behavior, reinforcement schedules are a component of operant conditioning, a method by which behaviors can be increased or decreased through rewards or punishments. A fixed-ratio schedule provides reinforcement after a set number of responses, which in this scenario, is receiving a dessert after five visits. This type of reinforcement can be very effective in maintaining a consistent level of response because the reward is guaranteed after a certain amount of desired behavior (in this case, dining at the restaurant).