Question

If Jamal is teaching his son to say please and gives him a high-five each time he says it, then he is reinforcing his behavior on a ________ reinforcement schedule.

Question 56 options:
a)
continuous
b)
variable interval
c)
fixed interval
d)
variable ratio

Answer 1

Jamal is using a continuous reinforcement schedule to teach his son to say 'please' by giving him a high-five each time he demonstrates the behavior. This differs from the variable ratio reinforcement schedule employed by slot machines, where the rewards are given after an unpredictable number of responses.

Step-by-step explanation:

If Jamal is teaching his son to say please and gives him a high-five each time he says it, then he is reinforcing his behavior on a continuous reinforcement schedule. A continuous reinforcement schedule means that every instance of the desired behavior is rewarded, which is especially effective in training a new behavior. As the child says 'please,' he consistently receives a high-five, making the association between the behavior and the consequence stronger.

In contrast, slot machines reward gamblers with money according to a variable ratio reinforcement schedule. This schedule is unpredictable because the number of responses needed for the reward varies. This unpredictability leads to a high rate of response with little pause after reinforcement, which is why it is very resistant to extinction and highly productive in maintaining behavior.