You are watching a rat pressing a lever in a Skinner box to obtain food pellets.The rat is pressing the lever at a very high rate,and does not stop,even when a food pellet is delivered.In this example,the reinforcement schedule that is in place is MOST likely
A) a fixed-interval schedule.
B) a variable-ratio schedule.
C) a fixed-ratio schedule.
D) a variable-interval schedule.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A variable-ratio schedule is a reinforcement schedule where a behavior is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses. This type of schedule is known to produce high response rates, and the fact that the rat is pressing the lever at a high rate, even after receiving a food pellet, suggests that it is in a variable-ratio schedule. In contrast, a fixed-interval schedule would only reinforce the behavior after a certain amount of time has passed, a fixed-ratio schedule would reinforce the behavior after a fixed number of responses, and a variable-interval schedule would reinforce the behavior after an unpredictable amount of time has passed.

You Are Watching a Rat Pressing a Lever in a Skinner