Ratio Schedule Of Reinforcement Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Ratio Schedule Of Reinforcement?

A ratio schedule of reinforcement is a type of operant conditioning in which the frequency or timing of rewards or punishments is based on a specific number or ratio of responses from the individual being conditioned. This type of reinforcement is commonly used in behavior modification and animal training, as it encourages frequent repetition of desired behaviors. Ratio schedules are contrasted with interval schedules, in which rewards are given after a set period of time has elapsed. The two main types of ratio schedules are fixed-ratio (FR) and variable-ratio (VR). In a FR schedule, a reward is given after the same number of responses each time for example, if an animal earns one food pellet for every three button presses on a lever, that would be considered an FR3 schedule. With VR schedules, however, the number required to earn a reward varies randomly for example, if an animal earns 1 food pellet for every random number between 5 and 10 button presses on the lever that would be considered an VR5-10 schedule. The use of ratio schedules can be very effective in teaching animals or humans new behaviors because they encourage repeated attempts until the desired response occurs and thus reinforce learning more quickly than other methods. Additionally, because ratio schedules require repeated responding before reinforcement is received there may be less potential for boredom due to long periods between rewards than there would be with interval scheduling. On the other hand, this can also make it more difficult to maintain interest in certain tasks as well as challenging to reduce unwanted behaviors that have been learned through ratio reinforcement since their removal requires fewer reinforcements than when they were acquired originally. Overall, while both interval and ratio scheduling have their advantages and disadvantages depending upon what outcome you are trying to achieve either can prove useful when used correctly in behavior modification scenarios such as training animals or helping people learn new skills or break habits.