Which term describes being rewarded on a regular basis (without randomness)?

Which term describes being rewarded on a regular basis (without randomness)?

• A. Fixed-Interval
• B. Variable
• C. Fixed
• D. Interval

Answer: (C)

A key idea here is how reinforcement schedules shape predictability. Being rewarded on a regular basis means there’s no randomness in when the reward comes—the pattern is fixed and foreseeable. That exact idea is captured by the term Fixed. When a schedule is fixed, reinforcement occurs in a set, nonrandom way, so the learner can anticipate the reward consistently, which strengthens the behavior. Contrast this with variable, where rewards come irregularly and are unpredictable, reducing the learner’s ability to anticipate. Interval by itself is ambiguous about whether the timing is fixed or variable, so it doesn’t specify the regularity as clearly as fixed does. While a fixed-interval schedule is indeed regular, the general descriptor that fits the notion of no randomness in the timing is fixed.

A key idea here is how reinforcement schedules shape predictability. Being rewarded on a regular basis means there’s no randomness in when the reward comes—the pattern is fixed and foreseeable. That exact idea is captured by the term Fixed. When a schedule is fixed, reinforcement occurs in a set, nonrandom way, so the learner can anticipate the reward consistently, which strengthens the behavior.

Contrast this with variable, where rewards come irregularly and are unpredictable, reducing the learner’s ability to anticipate. Interval by itself is ambiguous about whether the timing is fixed or variable, so it doesn’t specify the regularity as clearly as fixed does. While a fixed-interval schedule is indeed regular, the general descriptor that fits the notion of no randomness in the timing is fixed.