You have 25 new employees and you want them to complete several new-employee onboarding tasks such as selecting a health insurance plan, federal withholding, state withholding, 401K selection, set up direct deposit, etc. You also want them to learn to turn in biweekly reports on time. Several months later, you have noticed that there are many employee absences on the Monday after the bi-weekly payday. Attendance seems to improve the closer it gets to payday.
In your essay, be sure to do the following:
Describe a fixed reinforcement schedule, a variable reinforcement schedule, a duration schedule, a response rate schedule and a noncontingent reinforcement schedule. Explain how each works and describe when you might use each one.
Refer to the case above. Evaluate the best schedule of reinforcement for the initial paperwork and to get employees to turn in biweekly reports on time. Apply the schedule, explaining specifically how and when you would reinforce the employee and provide your rationale.
Discuss what seems to be happening with the employee absences (explain in terms of operant conditioning) and why you think it’s happening.
Refer to the case above. Evaluate the best schedule of reinforcement to improve attendance. Apply the schedule, explaining specifically how and when you would reinforce the employee and provide your rationale.
Explain how you would work to generalize the attendance behavior across time.
