You Are Watching a Rat Pressing a Lever in a Skinner

question 229

Multiple Choice

You are watching a rat pressing a lever in a Skinner box to obtain food pellets. The rat is pressing the lever at a very high rate, but it takes a break from lever pressing each time a food pellet is delivered. In this example, the reinforcement schedule that is in place is MOST likely

• A) a fixed-interval schedule.
• B) a variable-ratio schedule.
• C) a variable-interval schedule.
• D) a fixed-ratio schedule.

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Definitions:

Biological Needs

Fundamental physical requirements necessary for human survival, including air, food, water, shelter, clothing, warmth, sex, and sleep.

Reinforcing

Strengthening a behavior by providing a consequence that is rewarding.

Primary Reinforcers

Innate reinforcing qualities, such as food or water, that satisfy biological needs.

Superstitious Behaviour

Actions linked to beliefs in supernatural causality, where one event causes another without any natural process linking the two events, often influenced by cultural or personal significance.