At 04:41 AM 2/6/01 -0800, you wrote:
>Hi everyone. I am in need a few ideas for alternative ways of teaching the
>schedules of reinforcement. My students (high school) are having so much
>trouble with the concept. My top students who usually catch on quickly are
>so confused. I taught this the way I always have, reading, examples,
>lectures, but I think they need to see it in a different way. Any ideas?
I came up with this list about 4 years ago. Perhaps you and others who have not
seen it since the last time I posted it will find it useful. Please note that
after the first time I posted the list, some TIPSters questioned whether getting a
paycheck on a regular basis was a fixed interval schedule. You may want to check
the gopher archives and review the discussion on these matters that took place
around August/September, 1997. The reference notations refer to intro. and
learning texts from which the examples were derived. Enjoy.
NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
1. Loud buzz in some cars when ignition key is turned on; driver must put on
safety belt in order to eliminate irritating buzz (Gredler, 1992)
2. Feigning a stomach ache in order to avoiding school (Gredler, 1992)
3. Rushing home in the winter to get out of the cold (Weiten, 1992).
4. Cleaning the house to get rid of disgusting mess (Weiten, 1992), or cleaning
the house to get rid of your mother's nagging (Bootzin, et al , 1991; Leahy &
Harris, 1989).
5. Giving in to an argument or to a child or a dog's begging.
6. Studying for an exam to avoid getting a poor grade (Bootzin & Acocella, 1980).
7. Taking aspirin to relieve headache (Bootzin & Acocella, 1980; Buskist &
Gerbing, 1990; Gerow, 1992).
8. Removing a painful splinter from a finger (Pettijohn, 1992).
9. Removing a stone that has lodged inside the shoe while walking (Pettijohn,
1992; Roediger, Capaldi, Paris, & Polivy, 1991).
10. Fanning oneself to escape from the heat (Zimbardo, 1992).
11. Prisoners try to break out of jail to escape the aversiveness of being locked
up (Domjan & Burkhard, 1993).
12. Leaving a movie theater if the movie is bad (Domjan & Burkhard, 1993).
13. Running from the building when the fire alarm sounds (Domjan & Burkhard,
1993).
14. Avoidance of a phobic object (e.g., spiders) or activity (e.g., flying)
(Grussec, Lockhart, & Walters, 1990).
15. Avoidance or escaping an unpleasant social encounter Grussec, Lockhart, &
Walters, 1990).
16. Smoking in order to reduce a negative emotional state (Baron, 1992).
17. Paying one's bills to avoid poor credit rating (Peterson, 1991).
18. In Oregon people carry the umbrella around to avoid getting wet (Crooks &
Stein, 1991).
19. Turning down the volume of a very loud radio (Roediger, Capaldi, Paris, &
Polivy, 1991).
20. Changes in sexual behavior (e.g., wearing condoms) to avoid aids (Gerow,
1992).
FIXED RATIO
1. Factory worker paid on piece work (Bernstein, Roy, Srull, & Wickens, 1991;
Bootzin, Bower, Crocker, & Hall, 1991)
2. Receiving a good grade for reading x number of chapters of the book
(McConnell, 1989; Roediger, Capaldi, Paris, & Polivy, 1991).
3. Paying on commission (Gredler, 1992) or getting a bonus for every x number of
items sold (Weiten, 1992).
4. frequent flyer program: getting a free flight after acumulating x number of
flight miles.
5. Mailman must visit the same number of mail boxes each day in order to go home
(Domjan & Burkhard, 1993).
6. Going up a staircase, you must go up the same number of stairs to get to the
landing (Domjan & Burkhard, 1993).
7. Individuals collect bottles, cans, and other recyclables get payment for a
specific amount of these items (Baron, 1992).
8. Teenager is paid by the job (e.g., amount of work completed) will probably
mow
more lawns than one who is paid by the hour.
9. Carpet cleaner who takes a break only after having cleaned three rooms
(Peterson, 1991).
10. A strawberry picker receives $1 for afer filling 12 small boxes (Crooks &
Stein, 1991).
11. Doing 20 situps to keep fit (Roediger, Capaldi, Paris, & Polivy, 1991).
VARIABLE RATIO
1. Slot machines at a gambling casino (Baron, 1992; Bernstein, Roy, Srull, &
Wickens, 1991; Carlson, 1990; Crooks & Stein, 1991; Gerow, 1992)
2. Using drugs to escape withdrawal symptoms Gredler, 1992
3. Fly fishing: casting and reeling back several times before catching a fish
(Bootzin, Bower, Crocker, & Hall, 1991; Weiten, 1992).
4. Selling door to door. The number of doorbell ringing behavior will hopefully
be rewarded after a variable number of rings (Houston, 1976; Lefton & Valvatne,
1992).
5. Signaling while hitchiking (Bootzin, Bower, Crocker, & Hall, 1991).
6. Buying lottery tickets (Pettijohn, 1992).
7. Sports games: e.g., variable number of strokes to finish a hole of golf
(Baron,
1992); variable number of swings to hit the baseball; variable number of
throws to
get the basketball in the hoop; variable number of
throws to get a strike in bowling (Domjan & Burkhard, 1993).
8. Many video games (e.g., Nintendo) are porgrammed using a variable ratio
schedule.
9. Each time a custodian cleans a room, a certain amount of cleaning will be
necessary, however, the amount varies from day to day and even room to room
(Domjan
& Burkhar, 1993).
10. Playing Bingo (Gray, 1991).
FIXED INTERVAL
1. Getting a paycheck at the end of the week (Baron, 1992; Bernstein, Roy, Srull,
& Wickens, 1991; McConnell, 1989)
2. Looking at your watch during a lecture until end of a lecture (Catania,
1992).
3. Increasing studying behavior to earn good grades by taking exams scheduled at
equal intervals, e.g., midterm/final every friday (Baron, 1992; Carlson, 1990).
4. Athlete signs contract whereby his salary increases are renegotiated every
three years.
5. Billpassing behavior on the part of congress. This behavior has been shown to
increase as the recess period approaches (Weisberg & Waldrop as cited in Houston,
1976).
6. Checking the refrigerator to see if JELLO is ready (Domjan & Burkhard, 1993).
7. Checking oven to see if cookies are done, when cooking time is known (Gray,
1991).
8. Going to the cafeteria to see if the next meal is available.
9. Getting clean clothes from the washing machine once the cycle is finished
(Domjan & Burkhard, 1993).
10. Picking up the paper in the morning after it has been delivered at the same
time every day (Peterson, 1991).
VARIABLE INTERVAL SCHEDULE
1. Surprise quizzes (Carlson, 1990; Gerow, 1992; Gleitman, 1981; Pettijohn, 1992;
Rathus, 1990).
2. Speed traps on highway (Gleitman, 1981)
3. Calling a friend and getting no answer or getting a busy signal because he is
always on the phone. Some variable time will elapse until the call is reinforced
by an answer (Bootzin, Bower, Crocker, & Hall, 1991; Crooks &
Stein, 1991; Catania, 1992; Gray, 1991; Peterson, 1991; Pettijohn, 1992)
4. Fishing: a fish may be caught at intervals of approximately every two minutes;
every hour; or every two days! (Carlson, 1990; Crooks & Stein, 1991; Houston,
1976)
5. Mailchecking behavior assuming that mailperson comes at irregular intervals
(Myers, 1992).
6. Calling the mechanic to find out if your car is fixed yet (Domjan & Burkhard,
1993).
7. Waiting for a taxi cab.
8. Supervisor who praises her workers on irregular intervals. (Baron 1992)
9. Random drug testing; worker refrains from taking drugs (Baron,1992).
10. If grades are posted at unspecified interval after exams students will check
the bulletin board at a steady rate (Lefton & Valavatne, 1992).
Miguel
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Miguel Roig, Ph.D. Voice: (718) 390-4513
Assoc. Prof. of Psychology Fax: (718) 442-3612
Dept. of Psychology [EMAIL PROTECTED]
St. John's University [EMAIL PROTECTED]
300 Howard Avenue http://area51.stjohns.edu/~roig ;
Staten Island, NY 10301
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