Question

Gradually increasing the response ratio or the duration of the time interval needed to acquire reinforcement

Answer 1

Gradually increasing the response ratio or the duration of the time interval needed for reinforcement in operant conditioning is called shaping. It involves reinforcing progressively closer approximations of the desired behavior. Different reinforcement schedules, such as fixed and variable ratios or intervals, lead to varying behavior patterns and extinction rates.

Step-by-step explanation:

The process of gradually increasing the response ratio or the duration of the time interval needed to acquire reinforcement is known as shaping in the context of operant conditioning. This process involves the following steps:

1. Reinforce any response that resembles the desired behavior.
2. Then reinforce the response that more closely resembles the desired behavior, no longer reinforcing the previously reinforced response.
3. Next, begin to reinforce the response that even more closely resembles the desired behavior.
4. Continue to reinforce closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.
5. Finally, only reinforce the desired behavior.

Reinforcement, as described, can be delivered on different schedules, which include fixed ratio, where reinforcement is provided after a set number of responses, and variable ratio, where reinforcement is after an unpredictable number of responses. The fixed interval schedule provides reinforcement after a set amount of time, while a variable interval schedule provides reinforcement after varying, unpredictable amounts of time.

Among these schedules, the variable ratio and variable interval schedules are known to create high and steady response rates because the timing of reinforcement is unpredictable. These schedules lead to different patterns of behavior in terms of response rate and extinction rate.

For example, in a variable interval reinforcement schedule, a manager of a fast-food restaurant might never know when the quality control inspector will visit to evaluate cleanliness and service speed, which keeps the response (keeping the restaurant clean and providing good service) consistent. This contrasts with a fixed interval reinforcement schedule, where behavior is rewarded after a predictable amount of time, as in the case of a patient receiving medication on a schedule, which can result in a scalloped pattern of responses with a pause after each reinforcement.