Reinforcement 101 Complete Practice Test 2025

A salaried employee receiving a paycheck every 14 days exemplifies a fixed interval reinforcement schedule. In this scenario, the employee receives a reward, which is the paycheck, after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed—specifically, every two weeks. This means that the reinforcement is based on the passage of time rather than the number of tasks or responses completed.

In fixed interval schedules, the first response or behavior after a set amount of time results in reinforcement. This leads to a pattern where the employee knows that their consistent effort will be rewarded at each paycheck date, creating a sense of expectation about when the reinforcement will occur, thus making it easier to plan and manage time effectively.

A continuous reinforcement schedule would involve receiving a reward every single time a desired behavior is exhibited, which does not apply here since the paycheck is given biweekly. A fixed ratio schedule would involve rewards after a specific number of behaviors or responses, such as receiving a bonus after completing a set number of projects, while a variable ratio schedule would indicate reinforcement is delivered after an unpredictable number of responses, like a slot machine. In this case, the 14-day consistent interval makes fixed interval the correct answer.