A corporate pay policy most similar to a fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement would be?

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The rationale for selecting pay for piece work as the answer lies in the structure of reinforcement schedules in operant conditioning. A fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement delivers rewards after a specific number of responses have been made. In the context of piece work, employees are paid a certain amount for each unit they produce. Therefore, the more units they produce, the more they are compensated, which aligns directly with the principles of a fixed ratio schedule where a reward is contingent upon a fixed amount of work completed.

In contrast, an hourly wage provides compensation based on time rather than the quantity of work produced, resembling a fixed interval schedule. Salary increases are generally tied to performance evaluations or tenure rather than specific output, which does not fit the characteristics of a fixed ratio. Commission-based pay, while performance-driven, often varies based on sales or revenue generated, making it more akin to a variable ratio schedule since the payout isn't always fixed to a specific number of units or sales completed.

Thus, pay for piece work clearly exemplifies a fixed ratio schedule, where consistent and quantifiable output results in set rewards, making it the most analogous option among those presented.

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