Question

Which of the following statements regarding schedules of reinforcement is correct?

1) There is a characteristic lull period after reinforcement in a VR schedule of reinforcement.
2) Training using a continuous reinforcement schedule is more long-lasting than training using a partial reinforcement schedule.
3) A subject receives reinforcement more frequently on a VR 10 schedule compared to VR 5.
4) A VR schedule of reinforcement is more robust than a FI schedule of reinforcement.

Answer 1

The correct statement about schedules of reinforcement is that 'A VR schedule of reinforcement is more robust than a FI schedule of reinforcement.', because VR schedules maintain high and steady response rates without significant pauses, and they are highly resistant to extinction.

Step-by-step explanation:

When evaluating the statements regarding schedules of reinforcement, we find the correct one to be statement 4) 'A VR schedule of reinforcement is more robust than a FI schedule of reinforcement.'

This is attributed to the fact that in a variable ratio (VR) schedule, the number of responses needed for a reward varies, which leads to a high and steady response rate without the characteristic pauses that can occur with other schedules. This makes it highly resistant to extinction, as opposed to the fixed interval (FI) schedule, where behavior is rewarded after a set amount of time, leading to a 'scallop-shaped' response pattern with significant pauses after each reward. Extinction occurs more quickly when reinforcements are expected but do not occur, as observed in the FI schedule.

The other three statements contain inaccuracies: 1) VR schedules don't have a characteristic lull period after reinforcement, 2) Partial reinforcement schedules actually create more resistance to extinction compared to continuous reinforcement, and 3) A VR 10 schedule involves reinforcement after more responses on average than a VR 5 schedule, leading to less frequent reinforcements in VR 10.