Horst desperately wanted to be a writer. At first, his publisher accepted 2 out of every 10 stories he sent. Then, she started to accept 2 out of every 25 that he sent. As a result, Horst stopped writing. Horst's behavior can be best understood to be an example of
A) extinction
B) ratio strain.
C) the goal gradient effect.
D) continuous reinforcement.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Horst's behavior is an example of ratio strain, which occurs when the response requirement in a ratio schedule of reinforcement becomes so high or demanding that the behavior starts to decrease. In Horst's case, the increase in the number of stories he needed to send to get two acceptances (from 10 to 25) likely made the effort too high, leading to a decrease in his writing behavior.

Horst Desperately Wanted to Be a Writer