Final answer:
Differential Reinforcement of High Rates of Responding (DRH) is a technique in operant conditioning that increases the frequency of a behavior by providing reinforcement only after a certain number of responses within a set time. It aims to promote quick, frequent responses and is effective for teaching new behaviors or increasing desired actions in both humans and animals.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differential Reinforcement of High Rates of Responding (DRH)
Differential Reinforcement of High Rates of Responding (DRH) is a technique used in operant conditioning to increase the frequency of a desired behavior. It's a schedule of reinforcement where reinforcement is provided only if a certain number of responses occur within a set period. Unlike fixed interval reinforcement schedules, where behavior is rewarded after a set amount of time regardless of how many times the behavior is performed, DRH focuses on encouraging high rates of responding.
To give an example, if a teacher wants to increase a student's participation in class, they might apply a DRH schedule by rewarding the student only if they raise their hand to contribute to discussions a certain number of times during a class period. This differs from a fixed ratio reinforcement schedule, where a set number of responses must be made before a behavior is rewarded, regardless of the time it takes to make those responses. DRH specifically targets a high rate of response within a time frame, thus promoting quicker and more frequent responses.
It's important to note that DRH is distinct from higher-order conditioning, where a conditioned stimulus is used to condition a neutral stimulus, and from reinforcement schedules like variable ratio or variable interval, which involve rewards after an unpredictable number of responses or an unpredictable amount of time, respectively.
Positive reinforcement is a key component in operant conditioning, as reinforced behaviors are more likely to be repeated. The use of reinforcers can be highly effective in settings like classrooms, as shown by its application in systems like Skinner's teaching machines, which gave immediate positive reinforcement for correct answers to promote learning.
This approach is still influential in current practices of behavioral modification and is commonly used to increase desirable behaviors, particularly in settings such as education and animal training.