What is fixed ratio

For example, Skinner used positive reinforcement to teach rats to press a lever in a Skinner box. At first, the rat might randomly hit the lever while exploring the box, and out would come a pellet of food. After eating the pellet, what do you think the hungry rat did next?

It hit the lever again, and received another pellet of food. Each time the rat hit the lever, a pellet of food came out. When an organism receives a reinforcer each time it displays a behavior, it is called continuous reinforcement. This reinforcement schedule is the quickest way to teach someone a behavior, and it is especially effective in training a new behavior. Now, each time he sits, you give him a treat.

Timing is important here: you will be most successful if you present the reinforcer immediately after he sits, so that he can make an association between the target behavior sitting and the consequence getting a treat. A fixed interval reinforcement schedule is when behavior is rewarded after a set amount of time.

For example, June undergoes major surgery in a hospital. During recovery, she is expected to experience pain and will require prescription medications for pain relief. June is given an IV drip with a patient-controlled painkiller. Her doctor sets a limit: one dose per hour. June pushes a button when pain becomes difficult, and she receives a dose of medication.

Since the reward pain relief only occurs on a fixed interval, there is no point in exhibiting the behavior when it will not be rewarded. With a variable interval reinforcement schedule , the person or animal gets the reinforcement based on varying amounts of time, which are unpredictable.

Say that Manuel is the manager at a fast-food restaurant. Manuel never knows when the quality control person will show up, so he always tries to keep the restaurant clean and ensures that his employees provide prompt and courteous service. His productivity regarding prompt service and keeping a clean restaurant are steady because he wants his crew to earn the bonus. With a fixed ratio reinforcement schedule , there are a set number of responses that must occur before the behavior is rewarded.

Carla sells glasses at an eyeglass store, and she earns a commission every time she sells a pair of glasses. She always tries to sell people more pairs of glasses, including prescription sunglasses or a backup pair, so she can increase her commission. She does not care if the person really needs the prescription sunglasses, Carla just wants her bonus. This distinction in the quality of performance can help determine which reinforcement method is most appropriate for a particular situation.

Click on the thumbnail below to enlarge. Schedules of Reinforcement. Schedules of reinforcement are the rules that determine how often an organism is reinforced for a particular behavior. The particular pattern of reinforcement has an impact on the pattern of responding by the animal.

A schedule of reinforcement is either continuous or partial. The behavior of the Fire Chief Rabbit to the left was not reinforced every time it pulled the lever that "operated" the fire truck. In other words, the rabbit's lever pulling was reinforced on a partial or intermittent schedule. There are four basic partial schedules of reinforcement. These different schedules are based on reinforcing the behavior as a function of a the number of responses that have occurred or b the length of time since the last reinforcer was available.

Continuous Schedule. The continuous schedule of reinforcement involves the delivery of a reinforcer every single time that a desired behavior is emitted. Behaviors are learned quickly with a continuous schedule of reinforcement and the schedule is simple to use. As a rule of thumb, it usually helps to reinforce the animal every time it does the behavior when it is learning the behavior. Later, when the behavior is well established, the trainer can switch to a partial or intermittent schedule.

If Keller Breland left reinforces the behavior touching the ring with nose every time the behavior occurs, then Keller is using a continuous schedule. Partial Intermittent Schedu le. With a partial intermittent schedule, only some of the instances of behavior are reinforced, not every instance. Behaviors are shaped and learned more slowly with a partial schedule of reinforcement compared to a continuous schedule. However, behavior reinforced under a partial schedule is more resistant to extinction.

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Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Domjan, MP. The Principles of Learning and Behavior. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning; Kalat, JW. Introduction to Psychology. Related Articles. Reinforcement Schedules and How They Work. How Is Extinction Defined in Psychology?

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