ABSTRACT
When considering the effects of schedules of reinforcement on response rate, we need to distinguish between free-operant procedures and discrete-trials procedures. A free-operant procedure is one in which the individual is “free” to respond at various rates in the sense that there are no constraints on successive responses. For example, if Jan had been given a worksheet containing 12 math problems to solve, she could have worked at a rate of one problem per minute, or a rate of three per minute, or at some other rate. In a discrete-trials procedure, the individual is “not free” to respond at whatever rate he or she chooses because the environment places limits on the availability of response opportunities. For example, if a parent told a teenage child, “You can use the family car after you have helped do the dishes following three evening meals,” then that would be a discrete-trials procedure. The teenager cannot do the dishes for three quick meals in an hour, but has to wait and respond at a maximum rate of doing the dishes once per day. When we talk about the characteristic effects of schedules of reinforcement on response rate, we are referring to free-operant procedures unless otherwise specified. (For discussion of a procedure called discrete-trials teaching, see p. 20.)
When introduced gradually, FR schedules produce a high steady rate until reinforcement, followed by a postreinforcement pause. The length of the postreinforcement pause depends on the value of the FR-the higher the value, the longer the pause (Schlinger, Derenne, & Baron, 2008). FR schedules also produce high resistance to extinction (see Chapter 6, p. 56-57).
