Asked by William Sabga-Aboud on Jun 27, 2024
Verified
Watching the night sky for shooting stars is likely to be reinforced on a ________ schedule.
A) fixed-interval
B) fixed-ratio
C) variable-interval
D) variable-ratio
Variable-Interval
In the context of operant conditioning, a schedule of reinforcement where a response is rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed.
Shooting Stars
Small, rapidly moving meteoroids that, when they enter the earth's atmosphere, burn up and create a visible streak of light in the sky.
Night Sky
The appearance of the sky after sunset, characterized by darkness interspersed with celestial objects such as stars, planets, and the moon.
- Identify the differences among the reinforcement schedules (fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval, variable-interval) and how they influence behavior.
Verified Answer
NN
Nicole NewtonJul 03, 2024
Final Answer :
C
Explanation :
Variable-interval schedules are the most effective reinforcement schedules for behaviors that are desired to be maintained over a long period of time. In this case, the behavior of watching the night sky for shooting stars is not dependent on a specific number of shooting stars seen, but rather on the possibility of seeing a shooting star at any given time (i.e. variable-interval).
Learning Objectives
- Identify the differences among the reinforcement schedules (fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval, variable-interval) and how they influence behavior.