Comparison of fixed and variable-ratio schedules of reinforcement.
- 1 February 1965
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Psychological Association (APA) in Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology
- Vol. 59 (1) , 152-154
- https://doi.org/10.1037/h0021630
Abstract
For 21 days 8 rats on an FR (fixed rats) schedule of 16:1 and 8 rats on VR (variable ratio) of 16:1 received 60 reinforcements daily for bar pressing. No significant differences were found in overall response rates, number of large interresponse pauses, postreinforcement pausing, or rate while responding; there was some indication that FR produced "scalloping" while VR did not Switching RF trained Ss to VR produced immediate and persistant increases in overall response rates and a decrease in postreinforcement pausing. Under VR, the length of the postreinforcement pause was found to be negatively correlated with the number of bar presses required in the proceding ratio.Keywords
This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- PROPERTIES OF BEHAVIOR UNDER RANDOM INTERVAL REINFORCEMENT SCHEDULES1Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1963
- Frequency Distribution of the Values of the Correlation Coefficient in Samples from an Indefinitely Large PopulationBiometrika, 1915