A reinforcement that is delivered after a fixed amount of time has elapsed is characteristic of which schedule?

A reinforcement that is delivered after a fixed amount of time has elapsed is characteristic of which schedule?

• A. Fixed Interval
• B. Variable Interval
• C. Fixed Ratio
• D. Variable Ratio

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that reinforcement is controlled by time rather than by the number of responses. In a fixed-interval schedule, a reinforcement becomes available after a constant amount of time has passed, and it is delivered for the first response after that fixed interval. This makes the timing the decisive factor: you’ll often see a pause right after reinforcement followed by increasing responding as the end of the interval approaches. This differs from other schedules: a fixed ratio reinforces after a set number of responses, not after a fixed time; a variable ratio reinforces after a changing (unpredictable) number of responses; and a variable interval reinforces after varying time intervals, not a fixed one. So a reinforcement delivered after a constant amount of time is characteristic of a fixed-interval schedule.

The key idea is that reinforcement is controlled by time rather than by the number of responses. In a fixed-interval schedule, a reinforcement becomes available after a constant amount of time has passed, and it is delivered for the first response after that fixed interval. This makes the timing the decisive factor: you’ll often see a pause right after reinforcement followed by increasing responding as the end of the interval approaches.

This differs from other schedules: a fixed ratio reinforces after a set number of responses, not after a fixed time; a variable ratio reinforces after a changing (unpredictable) number of responses; and a variable interval reinforces after varying time intervals, not a fixed one. So a reinforcement delivered after a constant amount of time is characteristic of a fixed-interval schedule.