The video lectures on Basic Reinforcement schedules which may offer help to psychologist/ practitioner in delivery of ABA therapy. It goes as under:
- Fixed Ratio (FR): Reinforcement is delivery after a set number of responses.
- Usage: Commonly used for teaching initial behaviours.
- Example: reinforcing after every two responses.
- Variable Ratio (VR): Reinforcement is delivery based on an average number of responses.
- known as the “Slot Machine Effect”
- Example: Reinforcement after 2, 4, 3 response, averaged to 3 (VR3).
- Fixed Interval (FI): Reinforcement is delivered for the first response after a fixed amount of time.
- Example: Reinforcement after every 5 minutes.
- Variable Interval (VI): Reinforcement is delivered for the first response after an average amount of time.
- Example: Reinforcement after 1, 4, 2, 3 minutes, averaged to 2.5 minutes
Continuous Reinforcement vs. Intermittent Reinforcement:
- Continuous Reinforcement: Every response is reinforced, often used when teaching new behaviour.
- Example: FR1 (fixed ratio 1), where reinforcement is delivered after every single response.
- Intermittent Reinforcement: Any schedule other than continuous reinforcement.
- Example: Includes FR2s, VR10s, FI3s, VIs, etc.
