Immediately after being reinforced,a rat on which schedule of reinforcement would show the longest pause before its next response?
A) fixed ratio
B) variable ratio
C) fixed interval
D) variable interval

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a fixed interval schedule, reinforcement is delivered for the first response made after a fixed amount of time has elapsed since the last reinforcement. This leads to a pause in responding immediately after reinforcement because the rat knows that no matter how many times it presses the lever, it will only receive reinforcement again when the allotted time has passed, regardless of its behavior. This results in a "scallop" pattern of responding, with an increase in frequency of responses as the time to reinforcement approaches.

Immediately After Being Reinforced,a Rat on Which Schedule of Reinforcement