Partial Reinforcement Schedules and Exercise

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In the 1950's, psychologist B.F Skinner began researching the theory of operant conditioning (Boeree, 1998). This theory, also known as instrumental learning, is learning based on the consequences of responding (Coon & Mitterer, 2011, p. 259). The operant conditioning law of effect is the basic principle that "responses that lead to desirable effects are repeated while those that produce undesirable results are not" (Coon & Mitterer, 2011, p. 259). This principle directly influenced Skinner and his research. Perhaps his most well known experiment, Skinner placed a rat in what became known as the "Skinner box." In the box, there was a bar that when pushed would release pellets of food. The story goes that Skinner was running low on food during an experiment when he discovered the schedules of partial reinforcement. In order to save pellets, Skinner cut back on the amount and frequency that he fed the rats. Instead of the rats' operant behavior decreasing, it remained stable even with the change in feeding schedule (Boeree, 1998). This "accident" led Skinner to his discovery of the four schedules of partial reinforcement: fixed ratio (FR), variable ratio (VR), fixed interval (FI), and variable interval (VI). Skinner discovered that giving partial reinforcement with these schedules was actually more effective than giving continuous reinforcement. It is because of this discovery that psychologists are able to better predict and control behavior and learning. Today, these findings are especially helpful in understanding exercise.
It was not long after Skinner's discoveries that two psychologists, John W. Libb and Carl B. Clements (1969), performed an experiment aimed at testing the effects of partial reinforcement schedules on exerci...

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...en reinforcement on exercise with obese and nonobese boys. The Psychological Record, 40, 67-82. Retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1990-20480-001

De Luca, R. V., & Holborn, S. W. (1992). Effects of a variable-ratio Reinforcement Schedule with Changing Criteria on Exercise in Obese and Nonobese Boys. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25, 671-679. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1279749/?page=1 Libb, J. W., & Clements, C. B. (1969). Token Reinforcement in an Exercise Program for Hospitalized Geriatric Patients. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 28, 957-958. Retrieved from http://www.amsciepub.com/doi/pdf/10.2466/pms.1969.28.3.957

Manning, R. (2011, April 2). Reinforcement for Initiating Exercise Habits. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/413525-reinforcement-for-initiating-exercise-habits/

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