Question

Kira wants to train her dog, spike, to sit on command. she gives spike a doggie biscuit each time spike sits when commanded, but only for the first 10 trials. she then changes the rules. spike now has to sit on command three times before he gets a biscuit. kira used _____ first and then _____ to train spike.

Answer 1

Kira used continuous reinforcement to establish Spike's sitting behavior and then shifted to a fixed ratio schedule as a form of partial reinforcement to maintain the behavior over time.

Step-by-step explanation:

Kira initially used continuous reinforcement to train her dog Spike to sit on command by giving him a treat each time he performed the behavior. After 10 trials, she shifted to a partial reinforcement schedule, specifically a fixed ratio schedule, where Spike had to sit three times before receiving a biscuit. This method of training involves altering the reinforcement patterns to ensure that the conditioned behavior is maintained more effectively over time.

Continuous reinforcement is effective for establishing a new behavior, as Spike quickly learned to sit on command when he received a treat each time. After the behavior was established, Kira used a partial reinforcement schedule to make the behavior more resistant to extinction. This means that Spike would continue to perform the behavior even when not rewarded every time, which is crucial for long-term training and obedience.