MCAT Behavioral Sciences Question 36: Answer and Explanation
Home > MCAT Test > MCAT behavioral sciences practice tests
Test Information
- Use your browser's back button to return to your test results.
- Do more MCAT behavioral sciences practice tests.
Question: 36
6. A rat is trained to press a lever to obtain food under a fixed-interval schedule. Which of the following behaviors would the rat most likely exhibit?
- A. Pressing the lever continuously whenever it is hungry.
- B. Pressing the lever exactly once and waiting for the food pellet before pressing it again.
- C. Pressing the lever slowly at first, but with increasing frequency as the end of the interval approaches.
- D. None of the above; the association formed by fixed-interval schedules is too weak to increase behavior.
Correct Answer: C
Explanation:
In a fixed-interval schedule, the desired behavior is rewarded the first time it is exhibited after the fixed interval has elapsed. Both fixed-interval and fixed-ratio schedules tend to show this phenomenon: almost no response immediately after the reward is given, but the behavior increases as the rat gets close to receiving the reward.