Question

An airline offers a frequent flyer program in which after people earn 25,000 miles, they get a free flight. this is an example of what type of reinforcement schedule?

A) differential reinforcement schedule variable ratio variable interval fixed interval fixed ratio
B) differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior schedule
C) differential reinforcement of alternative behavior schedule
D) differential reinforcement of other responding schedule
E) differential reinforcement

Answer 1

The airline's frequent flyer program represents a fixed ratio reinforcement schedule since it requires a set number of responses (miles) for a reward (free flight).

Step-by-step explanation:

An airline offering a frequent flyer program where people earn a free flight after accumulating 25,000 miles is an example of a fixed ratio reinforcement schedule. In this type of schedule, a set number of responses (in this case, miles flown) must occur before a behavior is rewarded (receiving a free flight). This is different from variable ratio schedules, where the number of responses needed for a reward varies and can create high and steady response rates due to the unpredictability of the reinforcement.

Comparatively, with a fixed interval reinforcement schedule, behavior is rewarded after a set amount of time, regardless of how many times the behavior is performed within that time. For example, if a patient is allowed a dose of medication every hour, they will only receive it after the hour has passed, which is irrespective of the number of requests made within that hour.