Topics in Psychology
Operant Conditioning
15 Effort
Name _________________
Hour ____
Operant conditioning occurs when a person’s behavior is influenced by reinforcement.
For each of the following identify which schedule of reinforcement is being used.
(fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval, variable-interval)
1.) Watching for shooting stars.
2.) Receiving a report card once a quarter.
3.) Playing a slot machine.
4.) A typist who is paid based on a set number of pages typed.
5.) Waiting for a significant other to call you for a date and not knowing when they
will call.
6.) Buying M&M’s to get the one with the magic new color worth one million
dollars.
7.) You are paid two times a month: on the 1st and the 15th.
8.) Getting a raise every time you sell 100 pairs of shoes.
For each of the following identify whether it is negative reinforcement or punishment.
Then, provide a brief explanation for your answer.
9.) Your boss never asks you for input anymore because you never answer him/her
when asked.
10.) Getting a speeding ticket.
11.) You don’t like the lesson in class so you act up and your teacher send you out in
the hall.
12.) Getting grounded for staying out past curfew.
13.) Your parents want you to go on vacation with them and you complain until they
excuse you.
14.) Getting a detention for being late to class.