Maricella works as a seamstress. Her boss tells her that every time she completes five shirts, she will receive $5. When done with the five shirts, she dumps them into a bin and gets paid. Her pattern of shirt completion is most likely to be

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Maricella's pattern of work is influenced by the reinforcement schedule her boss has set up, which is a fixed-ratio schedule. This type of schedule typically results in a high rate of response with a short pause after the reinforcement (in this case, the $5) is received. Therefore, she is likely to work rapidly to complete the five shirts, take a brief break upon receiving the $5, and then repeat the cycle.

Maricella Works as a Seamstress