A rat in a Skinner box receives a food pellet every ten times the bar is pressed. The rat is on a _____ schedule of reinforcement.
A)fixed-ratio
B)variable-ratio
C)fixed-interval
D)variable-interval

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a fixed-ratio schedule, reinforcement is delivered after a fixed number of responses. In this case, the rat receives a food pellet every ten times the bar is pressed. Thus, the rat is on a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement. Option B) variable-ratio is incorrect because in a variable-ratio schedule, reinforcement is delivered after a random number of responses, which is not the case here. Option C) fixed-interval is incorrect because in a fixed-interval schedule, reinforcement is delivered for the first response after a fixed amount of time has elapsed since the previous reinforcement, which is also not the case here. Option D) variable-interval is incorrect because in a variable-interval schedule, reinforcement is delivered for the first response after a random amount of time has elapsed since the previous reinforcement, which is not the case in this situation.

A Rat in a Skinner Box Receives a Food Pellet