Elsie's mail arrives at the same time every day.For two weeks, while Elsie was waiting for her tax refund, she kept looking out the window to see if the mail had arrived.Based on what is known about schedules of reinforcement, you should conclude that Elsie's behavior of "watching for the mail" was being reinforced based on a:
A)fixed-ratio schedule
B)variable-ratio schedule
C)fixed-interval schedule
D)variable-interval schedule

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A fixed-interval schedule provides reinforcement after a fixed amount of time has passed since the last reinforcement. In this case, Elsie is checking for the mail at a fixed time each day, and she receives reinforcement (getting her mail) after a fixed interval of time has passed. This schedule explains why Elsie's behavior of checking the mail is persistent and on schedule each day.

Elsie's Mail Arrives at the Same Time Every Day