Student Preference for and Performance in Fixed- versus Mixed-Duration Schedules

Duration schedules of reinforcement for continuous behavior abide by several preexisting operant behavioral economic equations for reinforcer cost, otherwise known as price, and consumption. Duration schedules require behaviors to occur for a set duration of time prior to accessing reinforcement, unlike interval schedules that produce reinforcement after the first instance of a behavior after a given period. Despite extensive examples of naturally occurring duration schedules, translational research regarding duration schedules is quite limited. Further, a lack of research investigating the implementation of such reinforcement schedules, combined with concepts such as preference, represents a gap in the applied behavior analysis literature. The current study measured three elementary students' preferences for fixed- and mixed-duration schedules of reinforcement during academic work completion. Results suggest students prefer mixed-duration schedules of reinforcement that provide the opportunity to access reinforcement at a reduced price and that such arrangements could be employed to increase work completion and academic-engaged time.