Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

 Fixed- and Variable-Ratio Schedules
In a
fi xed-ratio schedule
,
reinforcement is given only after a specifi c number of responses. 
schedules of reinforcement
Different 
patterns of frequency and timing of 
reinforcement following desired 
behavior.
continuous reinforcement 
schedule
Reinforcing of a behavior 
every time it occurs.
partial (or intermittent) reinforcement 
schedule
Reinforcing of a behavior 
some but not all of the time.
fi xed-ratio schedule 
A schedule by 
which reinforcement is given only after 
a specifi c number of responses are 
made.
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190 Chapter 
6 
Learning
For instance, a rat might receive a food pellet every tenth time it pressed a lever; here, 
the ratio would be 1:10. Similarly, garment workers are generally paid on fi xed-ratio 
schedules: They receive a specifi c number of dollars for every blouse they sew. Because 
a greater rate of production means more reinforcement, people on fi xed-ratio sched-
ules are apt to work as quickly as possible (see Figure 4). 
In a variable-ratio schedule , reinforcement occurs after a varying number of 
responses rather than after a fi xed number. Although the specifi c number of responses 
necessary to receive reinforcement varies, the number of responses usually hovers 
around a specifi c average. A good example of a variable-ratio schedule is a telephone 
salesperson’s job. He might make a sale during the 3rd, 8th, 9th, and 20th calls with-
out being successful during any call in between. Although the number of responses 
he must make before making a sale varies, it averages out to a 20% success rate. 
Under these circumstances, you might expect that the salesperson would try to make 
as many calls as possible in as short a time as possible. This is the case with all 
variable-ratio schedules, which lead to a high rate of response and resistance to 
extinction.