Good explanation Ken. So checking email (or Instagram, etc.) appears to be a VI kind of thing - an uncertain amount of time passes and new email (a reinforcer) arrives. But, just for the fun of it, let me add in a wrinkle: take Instagram: I don’t necessarily have to do anything - except for initially following people when I sign up - but if I post a picture on Instagram (or write a post on TIPS I suppose) then the chances of me getting a response are increased. So that involves a behavior (posting a text or an image). Still VI?
Michael Michael A. Britt, Ph.D. [email protected] http://www.ThePsychFiles.com Twitter: @mbritt > On Jul 7, 2015, at 8:09 AM, Kenneth Steele <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > There is an easy trick to distinguish between VI and VR schedules. First, > imagine a FR 25 schedule. If you double your response rate then you will > double your reinforcement rate. The same rule applies to a VR 25 schedule. > On the other hand, imagine a FI 60 sec schedule. What happens if you double > your response rate? The reinforcement rate will remain about constant > because the 60-sec rule must be satisfied for either case. > > The easy way to distinguish between a VI and a VR reinforcement schedule is > to imagine the effect of doubling your response rate. If the reinforcement > rate doubles then you are dealing with a VR schedule. If the reinforcement > rate remains about constant then you are dealing with a VI schedule. > > Applying that rule to slot machines and email gives you the following. > Doubling the rate at which you enter coins into a slot machine will double > the rate at which you receive the consequence, hence a VR schedule. Doubling > the rate at which you check your email will not double the number of emails > that you receive, hence a VI schedule. > > Ken > > On Mon, Jul 6, 2015 at 6:41 PM, Beth Benoit <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > > > > > > I have a video of an interview of Skinner talking about variable ratio > schedules as being well exemplified by slot machines. Wouldn't checking for > messages be the same thing? Sometimes you get one, sometimes you don't. But > not getting one doesn't make you less likely to check. And sometimes getting > one makes you more likely to check. > > Beth Benoit > Plymouth State University > Plymouth, New Hampshire > > On Mon, Jul 6, 2015 at 6:35 PM, Michael Britt <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Parents know how hard it can be for kids to stay away from their social media > connections - be it facebook, instagram or Snapchat. As soon as my 15-year > old gets out of swim practice it’s the first thing he does. After all, there > might be a message for him. This would be variable interval reinforcement if > I’m correct - he doesn’t have to actually do anything but a new message > (reinforcer) might have arrived. > > It seems pretty darn powerful, which seems weird because I’ve always thought > of variable interval reinforcers as weak. Thoughts? > > Michael > > Michael A. Britt, Ph.D. > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > http://www.ThePsychFiles.com <http://www.thepsychfiles.com/> > Twitter: @mbritt > > > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>. > > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13105.b9b37cdd198e940b73969ea6ba7aaf72&n=T&l=tips&o=45725 > > <http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13105.b9b37cdd198e940b73969ea6ba7aaf72&n=T&l=tips&o=45725> > (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) > > or send a blank email to > leave-45725-13105.b9b37cdd198e940b73969ea6ba7aa...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > <mailto:leave-45725-13105.b9b37cdd198e940b73969ea6ba7aa...@fsulist.frostburg.edu> > > > > > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>. > > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13524.94845a3ed9806f1cef14973830dd8c39&n=T&l=tips&o=45726 > > <http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13524.94845a3ed9806f1cef14973830dd8c39&n=T&l=tips&o=45726> > (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) > > or send a blank email to > leave-45726-13524.94845a3ed9806f1cef14973830dd8...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > <mailto:leave-45726-13524.94845a3ed9806f1cef14973830dd8...@fsulist.frostburg.edu> > > > > > > > > -- > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Kenneth M. Steele, Ph.D. [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]> > Professor > Department of Psychology http://www.psych.appstate.edu > <http://www.psych.appstate.edu/> > Appalachian State University > Boone, NC 28608 > USA > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>. > > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13405.0125141592fa9ededc665c55d9958f69&n=T&l=tips&o=45737 > > <http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13405.0125141592fa9ededc665c55d9958f69&n=T&l=tips&o=45737> > (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) > > or send a blank email to > leave-45737-13405.0125141592fa9ededc665c55d9958...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > <mailto:leave-45737-13405.0125141592fa9ededc665c55d9958...@fsulist.frostburg.edu> > > > > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. 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