Concurrent Schedule
Also called: concurrent schedules of reinforcement, choice arrangement
Definition
Two or more schedules operating at the same time for two or more different behaviors, so the person can choose which to engage in. Most everyday situations are concurrent schedules, and how behavior is allocated among the options follows the relative rate, quality, delay and effort of reinforcement on each — the subject of the matching law.
In plain language
Two or more options available at the same time, each with its own payoff. The person chooses between them.
Example
A student can work quietly for occasional praise or joke with a neighbor for frequent laughs. Both are available at once.
Not concurrent schedule
A schedule in which praise alternates with tokens for the same behavior. One response class, alternating conditions, is a multiple schedule.
See also
Written from
- herrnstein-1961
- ferster-skinner-1957
Written from Herrnstein (1961) and Ferster and Skinner (1957). No textbook glossary consulted.
This entry has not yet been through clinical review. Treat it as a draft.