Dual Enrollment Psychology (PSY 200) Final Practice Exam

The idea being tested is how reinforcement schedules depend on the number of responses rather than time. A variable ratio schedule delivers reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses, with the average around a certain value but the exact count varying each time. This unpredictability makes behavior very persistent and high in frequency, because the next reward could come at any moment, so the learner keeps responding to maximize chances of reinforcement. A gambling-like pattern like slot machines is a classic example: you don’t know when the next win will come, so you keep pulling the lever. In contrast, a fixed-ratio schedule gives reinforcement after a predictable number of responses, a fixed-interval schedule reinforces after a set amount of time (regardless of responses), and continuous reinforcement delivers a reward after every response. The unpredictable-number-of-responses reinforcement fits the variable ratio schedule best.