Practice question · Match the pairs
Match each real-world example to the reinforcement schedule it illustrates.
- Slot machines paying out after an unpredictable number of plays
- Piecework pay: money after every set number of items made
- A weekly paycheck arriving after a set amount of time
- Checking a messaging app that updates at unpredictable times
- Fixed ratio
- Variable interval
- Fixed interval
- Variable ratio
Hints
- Ratio schedules count RESPONSES; interval schedules count TIME. Fixed is predictable; variable is not.
- Slot machines are the signature variable-ratio case; a weekly paycheck is fixed-interval.
Show the answer
- Slot machines paying out after an unpredictable number of plays → Variable ratio
- Piecework pay: money after every set number of items made → Fixed ratio
- A weekly paycheck arriving after a set amount of time → Fixed interval
- Checking a messaging app that updates at unpredictable times → Variable interval
Why
Slot machines are variable ratio (unpredictable number of responses), piecework is fixed ratio, a weekly paycheck is fixed interval, and app-checking is variable interval. Ratio vs interval is responses vs time; fixed vs variable is predictable vs not.
Practise Operant Conditioning
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