Shaquille is a professional basketball player.He never knows for sure which of his shots will result in a basket,but the more shots he takes the more baskets he makes.In this example,Shaquille's shooting is being reinforced on
A) a fixed-ratio schedule.
B) a fixed-interval schedule.
C) a variable-ratio schedule.
D) a variable-interval schedule.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A variable-ratio schedule is a reinforcement schedule in which the number of responses needed for reinforcement varies based on a random schedule. In this case, Shaquille is being reinforced on a variable-ratio schedule because he never knows which shot will result in a basket, but he knows the more shots he takes, the more likely he is to make baskets. This unpredictable reinforcement schedule is known to be the most effective in maintaining high levels of responding.

Shaquille Is a Professional Basketball Player