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On distinguishing progressively increasing response requirements for reinforcement

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Abstract

Several different arrangements have been described for increasing the response requirements for reinforcement using the label progressive-ratio schedule. Under the original progressive-ratio schedule, the response requirement is increased after each reinforcer. Subsequently, arrangements have been used in which the number of required responses increases following multiple reinforcers at a single response requirement or between sessions. Following an assessment of the different types of contingencies that result from such progressive response requirements and the labels used to describe them, a set of descriptive labels is suggested for these different types of progressively increasing response requirements.

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Correspondence to David P. Jarmolowicz.

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An earlier version of this material was presented at the 10th annual meeting of the Maryland Association for Behavior Analysis, Baltimore, 2007.

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Jarmolowicz, D.P., Lattal, K.A. On distinguishing progressively increasing response requirements for reinforcement. BEHAV ANALYST 33, 119–125 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392207

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