Every night at supper time a telemarketer calls people and tries to get them to buy things that they don't need. On average, he makes a sale after every 72 calls. Every Friday night he treats himself by buying a steak dinner with part of his earnings. The telemarketer's success is on a ________ schedule of reinforcement, and his dining behavior is on a ________ schedule of reinforcement.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The telemarketer's success is on a variable-ratio schedule because he makes a sale after an unpredictable number of calls. His dining behavior is on a fixed-interval schedule because he treats himself every Friday night, which is a predictable, set interval.  With ratio schedules, reinforcement is delivered after a certain number of responses; the schedule is variable when reinforcement comes after an average number of responses (a sale after an average of 72 calls). With interval schedules, reinforcement comes after a certain amount of time; the interval is fixed because he reinforces his own behavior with a fixed weekly dining schedule.

Every Night at Supper Time a Telemarketer Calls People and Tries