Question

Define the term schedule of reinforcement and explain how the process it refers to can be used in training a person or animal.

Answer 1

Schedules of reinforcement refers to the rules that determine the time and way of presenting reinforcement to condition the operant behaviour of the organism. It is a set of rules as how and when we provide reinforcement. Reinforcement is basically given in two ways, continuous or partial/intermittent schedules. In continuous reinforcement schedule, reinforcement is given continuously for each correct response whereas in partial schedule, reinforcements are given at fixed interval, fixed ratio, variable interval and variable ratio schedules.

Schedules of reinforcement is helpful in conditioning or acquisition of a new behaviour or response. For example, if you want to train employees to do their work efficiently, you can give them a bonus (reinforcement) every time they complete a task efficiently , which we call as continuous reinforcement. Giving a bonus or reward each time would motivate them to work efficiently every time. This will help you establish a new behaviour. But you cannot keep on rewarding everyone for every task.

In such a situation we use partial reinforcement. If we use fixed interval schedule, we are to provide reinforcement after a fixed period of time for efficient works but people would eventually learn the time of rewarding reinforcement and may work efficiently work at that time. Hence we see that there will be an increase and decrease in the performance.

While using the fixed ratio schedule, here we provide reinforcement only when they complete a fixed number of work efficiently. But in this method, they may take a break or pause after each reinforcement. Hence the behaviour (working efficiently) is not correctly maintained.

The variable reinforcement schedule can be used wherein reinforcement is provided at varying times or after a varying number of efficient works. This makes the employees work efficiently as they do not know when they would receive a reinforcement and remains motivated throughout the work.

The variable schedules of reinforcement makes the learned behaviour(working efficiently) highly resistant to extinction.

Thus, the schedules of reinforcement can be used to establish and maintain desirable responses or behaviour in humans as well as animals.