Concepts and Principles
Schedules, persistence, and response allocation
Use reinforcement schedules, behavioral momentum, and matching law to predict response persistence and allocation across alternatives.
How this shows up in scenario questions
- 1Identify simple and compound schedules.
- 2Interpret response persistence under disruption.
- 3Apply matching law to allocation between response options.
Common misconceptions
- Confusing multiple and mixed schedules.
- Assuming richer reinforcement never affects allocation.
- Treating persistence as the same as response rate.
Distractor patterns
- Choose the wrong schedule based on absence of discriminative stimuli.
- Ignore relative reinforcement rates.
- Call all persistence extinction resistance without context.
Related terms
schedulesbehavioral momentummatching lawresponse persistenceresponse allocation
Related practice prompts
Identify stimulus control in instructional contexts.
During requesting help in a early-intervention session, the participant says "help" only when the therapist holds up a help card, but not when the card is absent. What does this pattern most directly show? The BCBA is reviewing the decision with a trainee.
Identify stimulus control in instructional contexts.
During requesting help in a early-intervention session, the trainee says "help" only when the therapist holds up a help card, but not when the card is absent. What does this pattern most directly show? The case is being discussed after two weeks of stable attendance.
Identify stimulus control in instructional contexts.
During requesting help in a early-intervention session, the participant says "help" only when the therapist holds up a help card, but not when the card is absent. What does this pattern most directly show? The program is being updated before services move to a new setting.