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Also called Differentiation or IRT schedules.
Usually used with reinforcement
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Used where the reinforcer depends BOTH on
time and the number of reinforcers.
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Provides an intervention for behavior problems
associated with rate of response.
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Can be very effective in producing or reducing
behavior.
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Is the time that occurs between two
responses
IRT and rate of responding are functionally
related
 Long IRT schedules produce low rates of
responding
 Short IRT schedules produce high rates of
responding
Have to respond at a high rate within a certain amount of
time.
 Examples
1. Need to complete 25 math problems within 30 minutes
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 You work your tail off to get them done and receive recess for 15
minutes
2. Must sell 15 car in the next 10 days
 Work hard, get them sold and receive a $15,000 bonus
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Is very effective - Get very high rates of responding.
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Full Session DRH
 Provides reinforcement if the total number of
responses during the session meets or exceeds a
number criterion across the entire session
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Interval Session DRH
 Reinforcement is available only for responses that
over during short periods of time during the
session. (Get additional bonuses during the 10
day session)
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Cannot make the level to high
 If the organism does not respond enough, it will
receive less reward and ultimately decrease their
response rate.
 Sell 25 cars in 10 days
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Responding looks like an FI schedule.
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Work hard, get cars sold, then you take a break.
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Sometimes referred to as Spaced-Responding DRH or Spaceresponding DRL
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Is designed to create low levels of responding during a particular
time period.
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A period of time must elapse with few or responses of the
undesired behavior. (Number of responses is defined by the
schedule)
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E.g., Don’t want a child to act out in class.
Give the kid a reinforcer when acting out responses are low during
a particular time period.
Will give low rates of responding.
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Full Session DRL
 Provides reinforcement if the total number of
responses during the entire session is at or below
some level

Interval Session DRL
 Reinforcement is available only for lack of
responding during short intervals of time during
the entire session
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Works well in applied settings.
 Schools
 Group homes
 Other
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Provide reinforcement only in the absence of
a response in a specified period of time
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No acting out for the next hour and you get
15 minutes of recess.
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Is similar to DRO
Inappropriate behavior is replaced by
reinforcing alternative behaviors
Decreases inappropriate behavior
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Also similar to DRO
Reinforce a behavior that is incompatile with
the targeted behavior
 Reduce out of seat behavior by reinforcing in seat
behavior
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Cannot make the schedule to thin initially
If the organism cannot get reinforced, may
not get the desired response
 May get alternative reinforcement for others
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Systematically thins each successive
reinforcement opportunity independent of
the participant’s behavior.
▪ Progressive Ratio Schedules of Reinforcement (PR)
▪ Progressive Interval Schedules of Reinforcement (PI)
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Systematically increase the ratio or interval requirements for
reinforcement
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Similar to a DRL schedule
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Get reinforced for the lack of responding over
a period of time
 Reinforced for only 5 outbursts in 30 minutes
 Then reinforced for only 4 outbursts in 30 minutes
 Etc.
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Combine elements of continuous,
intermittent, or differential reinforcement
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Requires the participant to choose between two or more
stimuli
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Arranging two or more reinforcers for the participant to
choose from contingent upon the occurrence of a target
behavior.
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Rate of responding typically is proportional to
the rate of reinforcement received from each
choice alternative.
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Concurrent interval schedules – participants
typically do not allocate all of their responses
exclusively to the richer schedule.
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Concurrent ratio schedules – participants are
sensitive to the ratio schedules an tend to
maximize reinforcement by responding
primarily to the ratio that produces the
higher rate of reinforcement.
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Presents two or more basic schedules of
reinforcement in an alternating, usually
random, sequence.
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Basic schedules occur successively and
independently.
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A discriminative stimulus is correlated with
each basic schedule and is present as long as
the schedule is in effect
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Mixed Schedules (mix)
 Identical to multiple schedules, except the mixed
schedule has no discriminative stimuli correlated
with the independent schedules
 Example: mix FR 10 FI 1 schedule
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Need to monitor the behavior and develop a
baseline
Implement the intervention based on some
particular schedule
Monitor the outcome and determine if the
behavior has changed. If not, examine the
behavior
If the behavior changes, after the behavior is
stable, change the schedule
Do not change until the behavior is stable
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Lots of schedules
Make sure you understand them
Consider the schedule BEFORE you begin
planning your intervention
 When will you change it, how will you thin it, etc.