Final answer:
The student must match examples with schedules of partial reinforcement: Fixed Ratio (FR) rewards after a set number of actions, Variable Ratio (VR) rewards after an unpredictable number of actions, Fixed Interval (FI) rewards after a set amount of time, and Variable Interval (VI) is less clear from the provided examples but rewards after varying amounts of time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is tasked with identifying which type of partial reinforcement schedule matches each given example. The schedules include: A) FR for Fixed Ratio, B) VR for Variable Ratio, C) FI for Fixed Interval, and D) VI for Variable Interval. Each of these determines when a reinforcement is given, and they are categorized based on whether the schedule is fixed or variable (unchanging or changing), and whether it's based on an interval of time or a ratio of responses.
An example of a Variable Ratio (VR) schedule is gambling on a slot machine. This type of reinforcement schedule rewards after an unpredictable number of responses, making it quite resistant to extinction due to its unpredictability.
The Fixed Interval (FI) schedule rewards after a set amount of time. An example is a patient, June, who is to receive pain relief at a fixed time interval: one dose per hour, regardless of how many times they may press the button for medication in that hour.
A Fixed Ratio (FR) schedule rewards a behavior after a set number of responses. For instance, Carla earns a commission for every pair of glasses she sells, regardless of the quality of the sale.