Abstract
Supplementary, contingent pay arrangements can result in improved employee productivity and increased job satisfaction. We examined the effects of four stimulus delivery arrangements on performance in a computer-based task in a simulated work context. Three participants entered hypothetical client data onto a Microsoft Excel® invoice and earned gift-cards for task completion according to the following conditions: (a) fixed-ratio/high-preference stimuli (FR/HiP), (b) variable-ratio/high-preference stimuli (VR/HiP), (c) fixed-ratio/varied stimuli (FR/Var), and (d) variable-ratio/varied stimuli (VR/Var). For two of three participants varied reinforcers produced similar levels of responding to high-preference stimuli regardless of schedule type, whereas varied reinforcers did not support responding for the third participant. All participants preferred working under conditions of access to high-preference reinforcers. Results are discussed in light of creating efficient performance improvement plans in organizational settings.
