Question

Every time you buy ice cream from the Yellow Brick Road ice cream parlor, you get your over-the- rainbow

card punched. Once you purchase ten items, you get your next item free. Which reinforcement schedule does the Yellow Brick Road ice cream parlor have you on?

a. Variable ratio
b. Fixed ratio
c. Variable interval
d. Fixed interval

Answer 1

The Yellow Brick Road ice cream parlor uses a fixed ratio reinforcement schedule, rewarding customers with a free item after every ten purchases, a predictable pattern characteristic of fixed ratio schedules.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Yellow Brick Road ice cream parlor has you on a fixed ratio reinforcement schedule. This schedule is predictable and produces a high response rate, with a short pause after reinforcement. In this instance, you receive a free ice cream after a fixed number of purchases, specifically after every ten items, which is characteristic of a fixed ratio schedule. This is similar to employees earning a commission after selling a set number of items, where their reinforcement is not based on the time interval but rather the number of responses or purchases.