Applied Behavior Analysis Schedules of Reinforcement

is a rule that describes a contingency of reinforcement, those environmental arrangements that determine conditions by which behaviors will produce reinforcement

some, but not all occurrences of the behaviors are reinforced.

provides reinforcement for each occurrence of Behavior

requires the completion of a number of responses to produce a reinforcer

follows reinforcement (the participant does not respond for a period of time following reinforcemnet.

size of ratio influences-

larger ratio- long pauses

small ratio- short pauses

schedule of reinforcement requires the completion of variable number of responses to produce a reinforcer

schedule of reinforcement provides for the first response following a fixed duration of time

schedule of reinforcement provides reinforcement for the first correct response following the elapse of variable durations of time

when added to an interval schedule, reinforcement remains available for a finite time following the elapse of the FI or VI interval. participant will miss the opportunity for reinfrocement if a targeted response does not occur within the time limit.

gradually increasing the response ratio or duration of time interval.

• teachers often use instructions to clearly communicate the schedules of reinforcement

• rules, directions, and signs

results from abrupt increases in ratio requirements when moving from denser to thinner reinforcement schedule

delivery of the reinforcer is contingent on responses occurring at a rate higher than some predetermined criterion.

delivery of the reinforcer is contingent on responses occurring at a rate lower than a predetermined criterion

schedule provides reinforcement at the end of a predetermined time interval when the number of response is less than a criterion that is gradually decreased across time intervals based on individuals performance

systematically thins each successive reinforcement opportunity independent of the participants behavior

combining elements of continuous reinforcment, and intermittent schedules, differential reinforcement of various rates (DRH, DRL) and extinction.

occurs when:

• 2 or more contingencies of reinforcement

• operate independently and simultaneously for 2 or more behaviors

• concurrent schedule

rate of responding typically is proportional to the rate of reinforcement received from each choice alternative

presents 2 or more basic schedules of reinforcement in an alternating, usually random, sequence. occur successive and independently

2 or more schedule requirements that occur successively and have a discriminative stimulus correlated with each independent schedule.

• always occur in specifc order

• BX may be the same for all elements

• conditioned reinforcement is the SD for the next element

identical to multiple schedules, except that has no discriminative stimuli correlated with the independent schedules

identical to chained schedule except does not have a discriminative stimulus with the elements in the chain

provides reinforcement whenever the requirement of either a ratio or interval schedule is met regardless of which on was met first.

in effect whenever reinforcement follows the completion of response requirements for both a ratio and an interval schedule of reinforcement.

normal time filling behaviors (doodling, smoking, idle talking, drinking)
schedule induced behaviors- when the frequency of these behaviors increases as a side effect of other behaviors maintained by a schedule of reinforcement.