The "IF" suggests variable reinforcement rather than fixed or
continuous; the unpredictability of a rewarding consequence is what
makes the schedule variable.
The "HOW MANY... I MIGHT" refers to the magnitude of the reinforcer. A
larger reinforcer is generally more effective than a smaller reinforcer.
(A beggar asking for spare cash might get a quarter, might get $20.)
Notice what Ken asked: Does the frequency of your behavior change the
likelihood of getting a reward? If so, then it is a ratio (of actions to
reward); if not, it is an interval (of time passing before an action can
elicit a reward).
Can you (or an observer) predict how many times you have to commit the
behavior before you get a reward? If so, it is fixed or continuous, and
if not it is variable.
So, checking one's device for a message: everyone has been calling this
VI, assuming that the rate of checking one's phone cannot change the
presence or absence of a message. That is true. But as Claudia said, the
real world is complex: for most teens and 20-somethings, it may be
continuous reinforcement: the many possible feeds (text, FB,
Instawhatever), the stimulus of the phone vibrating, make it likely that
a person gets a reward (a new message) every time the phone is checked.
(The thread began wondering why one's son would check the phone so soon
after getting out of a swimming pool. For this kid I would suspect the
past history of intervals between messages is much shorter than the time
spent in the pool; also, the magnitude is rather high for many of these
kids: social inclusion/acceptance/validation, risk of rejection for not
replying, etc. If those conditions are true, there's good reason to
predict the behavior following an hour in the pool.)
Think about an old-fashioned land-line: is answering the phone
continuously reinforced or VI? I'd say S^D is the ringing and answering
is the R that is rewarded with a voice on the other end (ignore robo
calls and caller-ID for this example). The S^D is not the phone on the
wall (and I don't randomly pick up the receiver to see if there's
someone on the other end). To set up a true VI with the smart phone, one
would have to turn off all the signalling (rings, vibrations) from the
phone.
Now, posting to Instagram, I imagine is rewarded by some returned "like"
symbol or a written response: you are more likely to have something
liked if you post more often (unless it's one of those forums where
everything is liked by someone), so this is VR. (Ignore the behavior of
checking the phone for replies.) But what R is being rewarded? The act
of posting? (You'll do it more often.) The aiming of your camera?
(You'll take more popular pictures.) The generalized exposing your
private experiences to the public? (You'll become a social media
extrovert and smartphone addict like the rest of them.)
--> Mike O.
Monroe Community College
On 7/14/15 1:00 AM, Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) digest
wrote:
> So because I don’t know IF or HOW MANY responses I MIGHT get from any
> particular instagram post, I’m on a VI schedule - correct?
>
>
> Michael
>
> Michael A. Britt, Ph.D.
> [email protected]
> http://www.ThePsychFiles.com
> Twitter: @mbritt
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