1. Mean = = 83%
14.75 12
14.5 13
13.75
12.5
13.5
12.75 14

2. Schedules of Reinforcement Chapter 13

3. What’s a Schedule? A schedule of reinforcement is a rule specifying…
the arrangement and response requirements for reinforcement
e.g., whether a reinforcer follows every behavior, every other behavior, etc.
2 Simple Schedules
Continuous Reinforcement (CRF; FR1)
The reinforcer follows every behavior
CRF results in rapid acquisition (good for teaching)
CRF produces little resistance to extinction
Extinction (EXT)
Discontinuation of a response-reinforcer contingency

4. Intermittent Reinforcement
Some rather than all responses are reinforced
Two main categories
Ratio schedules: the reinforcer is delivered after every X behaviors
Interval schedules: the FIRST behavior after X amount of time is reinforced
Produces better resistance to extinction than CRF
Good for maintaining behavior

5. Ratio Schedules 2 Types: Fixed Ratio and Variable Ratio
Fixed Ratio: the reinforcer is delivered after a fixed number of behaviors
Designation: FR 5 (every 5th target response is reinforced)
Produces high-rate responding – why?
Produces a post-reinforcement pause (PRP)
PRPs are proportional to the size of the ratio
e.g., piecework
Number of responses required and the size of the SR

6. Fixed-Ratio Schedule of Reinforcement
PRP
SR+ delivered

7. Variable Ratio
The reinforcer is delivered after an average number of behaviors
Designation: VR 5
5, 4, 7, 6, 4, 3, 6, 7, 3
Produces consistent, high rates with no PRPs
e.g., starting a lawn mower
Clinical applications…
First 5 responses to get reinf, then 10, then 15.

8. Tic-Tac-Toe VR Procedure27 5 23 11 15 9 3 20 10
Teacher picks maximum number of responses for an individual or group (e.g., 30)
The smaller the #, the more likely it is that the learner(s) will meet the contingency
Learners fill in each square of tic-tac-toe grid with a # no greater than the max
Teacher fills box with numbers on slips of paper
Each number several times
Contingent on target behavior, student picks slip of paper
If on tic-tac-toe, cross out number
Deliver SR+ when 3 in a row
Number of responses required and the size of the SR 5

9. Classroom Lottery VR Procedure
Students write their names on index cards after successfully completing assigned tasks
Cards go in a box
After a preset period of time (e.g., 1 week),…
Teacher picks a card – that student is the winner
The more cards earned, the more likely a student will be the winner
Reggie
Lottery Box!

10. Considerations with Ratio Schedules
Both FR and VR schedules have 2 major advantages
Produce high rates of responding
Easy to use
Potential Disadvantage
Ratio strain can result from abrupt increases in ratio requirements

11. Interval Schedules 2 Types: Fixed Interval and Variable Interval
Fixed Interval: the reinforcer is delivered for the first target response after a fixed period of time has elapsed
Designation: FI 60s
e.g., turning on the TV to watch your favorite show
Characteristics
Produces PRPs, resulting in scallop or break-and-run patterns
Slow to moderate rate of responding

12. PRP
SR delivered

13. Variable Interval Schedule
the reinforcer is delivered for the first behavior after an average period of time has elapsed
Designation: VI 60s
produces steady, moderate responding (no PRPs)
e.g., checking
Limited Hold: a feature that can be added to any interval schedule
The behavior must occur after the interval has elapsed, but within a specific period of time
Designation: FI 5 min LH 30 s

15. Considerations with Interval Schedules
Use if you want to produce low to moderate response rates
Advantage
FI schedules are relatively easy to use with a resetting timer
Potential Disadvantage
Off-task or other unwanted behavior may occur during the PRP

16. # responses
FI scallop
Post-reinforcement pause
time

17. Thinning the Schedule of Reinforcement
Schedule thinning: Gradually increasing the response ratio or the extent of the time interval
Benefits
The student’s behavior becomes more durable (more resistant to extinction)
More practical for caregivers to implement
If you move too quickly, you can produce ratio strain
Aggression
Extinction of responding
Not many guidelines are available to tell us how to do this

18. LeBlanc, Hagopian, Maglieri, & Poling (2002)
Determine a reasonable terminal goal that’s appropriate to the age and functioning level of the learner
Establish a series of steps between the initial value and the terminal value
8-12 steps are recommended
Increase 33% to 50% at each step
Stay at one step at least 2 times
If student is unsuccessful, go back a step
Periodically probe a few steps ahead

19. LeBlanc et al.: Thinning from FR1
100% 2
FR4 3
FR6
50% 4
FR9 5
FR12
33% 6
FR16 7
FR21 8
FR28

20. Differential Reinforcement of Rates of Responding
DRH: Reinforcement of responses higher than a predetermined criterion (to produce a higher rate of responding)
DRL: Reinforcement of responses lower than a predetermined criterion (to produce a lower rate of responding)
3 Types
Spaced-responding: reinforcement is only available for responses separated by a given duration of time (IRT)
Not used much b/c it’s difficult to calculate IRT
Full session: reinforcement is delivered at the end of the session if the total number of responses during the session was less than or more than a criterion
Interval: Total session is divided into equal intervals and reinforcement is delivered at the end of each interval in which the number of responses was less than or more than a criterion

21. Compound Schedules of Reinforcement
Combine different types of schedules
Concurrent Schedules
Discriminative Schedules
Multiple Schedules
Chained Schedules
Nondiscriminative Schedules
Mixed Schedules
Tandem Schedules

22. Concurrent Schedules
2 or more contingencies of reinforcement operate independently and at the same time for 2 or more behaviors
Used for
Reinforcer Assessments
Intervention Assessments
Hanley et al. (2005) allowed individuals to choose which intervention they preferred
FCT + Punishment was preferred to FCT + Extinction
Interventions
Hoch et al. (2002) – boys with autism could play alone or with sibling
Sibling was chosen when SR magnitude and quality were increased
Use this when you can’t or shouldn’t treat inappropriate behavior directly

23. Multiple Schedule A type of discriminative schedule
Two or more schedules are presented one after another
Each is correlated with a discriminative stimulus
Tiger and Hanley (2004)
Different colored leis worn by the teacher were SDs correlated with schedules of reinforcement for attention

25. FR1 Component (SD)

26. EXT Component (S∆)

27. Minimum response criterion
15 s – 270 s
5s–1s
1 s – 60 s
Minimum response criterion

28. Chained Schedule A type of discriminative schedule
Differs from multiple schedule:
Schedules in the chain occur in the same order
Behavior may be the same or different for each component of the chain
Conditioned reinforcement for the first element of the chain is presentation of the second element
The last response is reinforced with most powerful reinforcer

29. Nondiscriminative Schedules
Mixed (like multiple schedule without the SDs)
Tiger and Hanley (2004) – conducted the same sessions without the teacher wearing leis
Tandem (like chained with out the SDs)

30. Use Caution…
When extrapolating information about schedules from basic research to applied settings
Most applications of schedules only approximate lab schedules
Many uncontrolled variables in applied settings will influence a person’s sensitivity and insensitivity to a schedule of reinforcement