In operant conditioning, a variable-ratio schedule of reinforcement produces behavior that is:

Question

Accepted Answer

High and steady with strong resistance to extinction. A variable-ratio (VR) schedule delivers reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses, averaging around a set number. This schedule produces the highest, most consistent rate of responding and the greatest resistance to extinction of all four basic reinforcement schedules. Slot machines operate on a variable-ratio schedule  -  the gambler never knows which pull will produce a payout, so they keep pulling rapidly and persistently.

A fixed-ratio schedule, by contrast, reinforces after a set number of responses (like paying a factory worker per unit produced) and produces a characteristic "post-reinforcement pause" followed by a burst of responding. The description of "slow and steady with predictable pauses" better fits a fixed-ratio or fixed-interval schedule. A fixed-interval schedule reinforces the first response after a set time period has elapsed and produces a "scalloped" pattern of responding  -  slow at first, accelerating as the interval end approaches.

The reason variable-ratio schedules produce such persistent behavior relates to the unpredictability of reinforcement. Because the organism cannot predict when the next reinforcement will occur, there is no logical point at which to stop responding. This makes variable-ratio schedules extremely effective at maintaining behavior and extremely resistant to extinction  -  the organism always suspects the next response might be the one that pays off. Understanding the four reinforcement schedules and their distinctive response patterns is a core topic on the CLEP Psychology exam.

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