On the first trial, a rat in a Skinner box is reinforced for the first bar press it makes after 50 seconds have elapsed. On the second trial, the first bar press after 70 seconds is reinforced. Although it varies from trial to trial, the average works out to one reinforcer every 60 seconds. The rat is on a _____ schedule of reinforcement.
A)fixed-ratio
B)fixed-interval
C)variable-interval
D)variable-ratio

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The rat is on a variable-interval schedule of reinforcement because the time intervals between reinforcements vary but average out over time. This means the rat is reinforced after an unpredictable amount of time passes, which is characteristic of a variable-interval schedule.

On the First Trial, a Rat in a Skinner Box