FIXED‐RATIO AND FIXED‐INTERVAL SCHEDULE CONTROL OF MATCHING‐TO‐SAMPLE ERRORS BY CHILDREN¹

Abstract

Nine children, ages 4 through 7 yr, matched-to-sample on fixed-ratio, fixed-interval, variable-ratio, and variable-interval schedules of reinforcement. Simultaneous, zero-delay, and 2-sec delay matching were employed. Distributions of errors, in which the greatest number of errors occurred at the ordinal position immediately after reinforcement with fewer errors occurring at subsequent positions in the ratio, were produced by six of six children on fixed-ratio schedules for zero-delay and both of two children for 2-sec delay matching. Only two children of seven produced similar error distributions on simultaneous matching for fixed-ratio reinforcement. Variable-ratio schedules produced slightly lower accuracy for most subjects and no systematic error patterns for any subject. Error distributions occurred for all of the five children who experienced fixed-interval schedules for zero-delay matching. Peak error production occurred in the second fourth of the interval. Similar patterns were not produced on variable-interval schedules of equal reinforcement density. Schedule control of complex discriminated operants in children resembles control over similar responses of nonhuman animals.Fixed-ratio and fixed-interval schedules of reinforcement have been shown to exert control over the accuracy of nonhuman free-operant performance (Bigelow, 1971;Birch, 1964;Zeiler, 1968;and Zeiler, 1970), discrete-trial behavior (Nevin, 1967) and complex discriminated operants (Boren and Gollub, 1972;

Effects of Ratio Reinforcement Schedules on Discrimination Performance by Japanese Monkeys

“…This trend was not so clear for smaller ratios but was remarkable for ratios 20 and 30. These results were consistent with previous studies with pigeons and humans (Davidson & Osborne, 1974;Holmes, 1979;Mintz et al, 1966;Nevin et al, 1963;Stubbs, 1968;Thomas, 1979). It is strongly suggested that the effect of fixedratio schedules on temporal patterning of er- On VR schedules with values of up to 20 (lower row), accuracy for T441 was consistently high without regard to the number of correct responses after reinforcement.…”

“…With intertrial intervals (larger than 5 s), however, accuracy was fairly constant for ratios from 1 (CRF) to 20, and these results were more like but not exactly consistent with those of Nevin et al (1963). Similarly, accuracy was almost constant for ratios ranging from 3 to 10 in Davidson and Osborne's (1974) …”

“…Nevin et al (1963) demonstrated that accuracy was constantly high in comparison with FR schedules, but in Davidson and Osborne's (1974) data, accuracy on VR schedules was much the same as on FR schedules.…”

Some Effects of Reinforcement Schedules in Teaching Picture Names to Retarded Children1

“…That this is the most effective way to schedule primary reinforcers has not been established. Although some studies have employed intermittent schedules of primary reinforcement in training the mentally retarded (e.g., Garcia, 1974;Garcia, Guess, and Byrnes, 1973;Guess and Baer, 1973;Twardosz and Baer, 1973), few have examined the effects of intermittent schedules in such procedures (but see Davidson and Osborne [1974] (WINTER 197 5) schedule parameters on normal children's matching-to-sample behavior).…”

Fixed‐ratio Discrimination: Effects of Intermittent Reinforcement

“…Some of these data were presented at the Psychonomic Society meeting, Denver, 1975. Re first, third, or fourth quarters (Boren and Gollub, 1972;Clark and Sherman, 1970; Davidson and Osborne, 1974;Ferster, 1960). On fixed-ratio (FR) schedules, where reinforcement depends on a specific number of correct choices, accuracy is lowest at the beginning of the ratio, followed by a systematic increase in accuracy as the ratio count advances (Davidson and Osborne, 1974;Mintz, Mourer, and Weinberg, 1966;Nevin, Cumming, and Berryman, 1963;Stubbs, 1968).…”