Final answer:
Variable ratio schedules generate higher rates of responding than fixed interval schedules. The reinforcement in variable ratio is unpredictable and keeps the response rates high and steady, making it powerful for maintaining ongoing behaviors, while fixed interval schedules are predictable, resulting in a fluctuating pattern of responses.
Step-by-step explanation:
Given the same frequency of reinforcement, variable ratio schedules generate higher rates of responding than do fixed interval schedules.
Variable ratio schedules, like those used by slot machines, provide reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses, maintaining a high and steady rate of responding without a predictable pause. This unpredictability leads to behaviors that are highly resistant to extinction. On the other hand, fixed interval schedules provide reinforcement after a set period of time, which tends to produce a scalloped pattern of responding, where rates of response increase as the time for reinforcement approaches, followed by a period of no responding immediately after reinforcement is delivered, reflecting a significant pause.
The difference between these schedules lies in the nature of reinforcement delivery. In variable ratio schedules, the reinforcement is contingent on an unpredictable number of responses, making it the most powerful for maintaining strong, consistent behaviors. In contrast, fixed interval schedules are predictable and thus lead to a decrease in responses immediately after the reinforcer is given, with a slower increase in response rate as the time for the next reinforcement approaches.