Definition
Delay of reinforcement occurs when a period of time has elapsed between the response and the administration of the reinforcer.
Reinforcement is defined as the presentation or removal of a stimulus following an organism’s response that results in an increased probability that the response will reoccur. For example, when a rat presses a lever and receives food, the rat learns that pressing the lever produces a desired result (food). The presentation of food (the reinforcer) increases the likelihood that the rat will press the lever again in the future. There are a number of factors that impact the efficacy of reinforcement, one of which is the delay of reinforcement. Delay of reinforcementoccurs when a period of time has elapsed between the response and the administration of the reinforcer. For example, if a rat presses a lever that instantly releases food, the rat receives immediate reinforcement since no time has elapsed between the response and the reinforcement. The...
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DiBlasi, T., Portillo, C. (2017). Delay of Reinforcement. In: Vonk, J., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1294-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1294-1
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