Final answer:
Madison's disciplinary technique constitutes a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement where her son receives negative reinforcement (spanking) after a specific number of behaviors (being asked three times).
Step-by-step explanation:
In the scenario described, where Madison spanks her son if she has to ask him three times to clean up his room, the schedule of reinforcement being used is a fixed-ratio schedule.
This is identified as a fixed-ratio schedule because reinforcement (spanking, which in this context is considered a form of negative reinforcement to increase the desired behavior) is administered after a specific number of behaviors have been performed, in this case, after the child has been asked three times to clean his room. If the child does not comply after the designated number of requests, he receives the negative reinforcement. Shaping, a process used to teach behaviors by reinforcing successively closer approximations of the desired behavior, is not evident here. Instead, this is simply a fixed-ratio response pattern where a consequence is delivered after a specific number of actions, intended to increase the likelihood of compliance.