Schedules of Reinforcement

Definition

Schedules of reinforcement refer to the patterns or timing of rewards and punishments used in operant conditioning. They determine how often and when a behavior is reinforced, which affects the speed and consistency of learning.

Related terms

Variable Ratio Schedule: A type of schedule where the number of responses required for reinforcement varies randomly. For example, sometimes the dog gets rewarded after 5 tricks, sometimes after 10 tricks.

Fixed Interval Schedule: A type of schedule where reinforcement is provided at fixed time intervals. For instance, if your dog performs a trick within 1 minute after the previous one was rewarded, they get another treat.

Variable Interval Schedule: A type of schedule where reinforcement is provided at varying time intervals. Let's say your dog gets rewarded for performing tricks randomly between 2 minutes to 5 minutes since their last reward.