What would you expect to see during a post-reinforcement pause in a Fixed Ratio schedule?

In a Fixed Ratio schedule, a post-reinforcement pause is a common phenomenon where there is a temporary drop in the response rate following the delivery of a reinforcement. This occurs because, after receiving a reward, the organism often takes a brief break before resuming the behavior that led to the reinforcement.

This pause is attributed to the nature of the Fixed Ratio schedule, which reinforces behavior after a specific number of responses. Once the reinforcement is obtained, the individual may momentarily stop responding as they "rest" and prepare for the next set of responses required to earn the next reward. The pattern then typically resumes with a burst of high response rates, leading to the characteristic scalloped effect seen in response graphs for this reinforcement schedule.

Understanding this concept is critical for effective training, as recognizing that a temporary decrease in activity is a normal part of the Fixed Ratio schedule can help trainers avoid misinterpreting the behavior of the dog during training sessions. In contrast, high and steady response rates or continuous responses without pauses do not accurately reflect the patterns associated with this schedule, and an immediate increase in response rates does not align with the expected behavior following reinforcement.