Dr. Vance conducted an experiment at a canine cognitive center to investigate how different schedules of operant reinforcement affect learning rate. He obtained full ethical approval from the university's animal welfare board before commencing. Using a random sampling method, dogs were allocated to either Group 1, which received a food reward on a fixed-ratio schedule (a reward after every 4th target touch), or Group 2, which received a food reward on a variable-ratio schedule (where the number of touches required fluctuated around a mean of 4). Dr. Vance recorded the total number of times each dog touched the target with its nose during a single 12-minute session.
Identify the independent variable (IV) and the dependent variable (DV) in this study.
205 exam-style questions on Edexcel A Level Psychology Content, covering Main features of classical conditioning, Pavlov (1927) salivation in dogs, Main features of operant conditioning, Properties of reinforcement, Behaviour modification and shaping, Main features of social learning theory, Social learning stages, Bandura (1961, 1963) Bobo doll experiments, Bandura (1965) vicarious reinforcement, Learning theories and phobias, Treatments for phobias, Individual differences, and Developmental psychology. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.