摘要:

During Phase I, human subjects pressed a button for monetary reinforcement in five variable‐interval schedules, each of which specified a different frequency of reinforcement. The rate of responding was an increasing, negatively accelerated function of reinforcement frequency; the data conformed closely to Herrnstein's equation. During Phase II, the same five schedules were in operation, but in addition a concurrent variable‐interval schedule (B) was introduced, responses on which were always reinforced at the same frequency. Response rate in component A increased while the response rate in B decreased, as a function of the reinforcement frequency in component A. Relative response rates in the two component schedules matched the relative frequencies of reinforcement. Comparing the absolute response rates in component A during Phase I and Phase II it was found that introduction of the concurrent schedule did not affect the value of the theoretical maximum response rate, but did increase the value of the reinforcement frequency needed to obtain any particular submaximal response r

ISSN:0022-5002    

DOI:10.1901/jeab.1976.26-135

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1976

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Pigeons were given practice choosing between pairs of alternatives yielding different frequencies of reinforcement. Four individual alternatives were set into four pairwise choices. Averaged over subjects, the distribution of responses in each choice approximated matching. The four individual alternatives were then presented, two by two, in two pairwise choices for which there had been no initial practice. No further reinforcement was given during the tests with the new pairs. Transfer to the two test pairs deviated systematically from matching in most cases by exaggerating the preference for the alternative that had had the higher frequency of reinforcement.

ISSN:0022-5002    

DOI:10.1901/jeab.1976.26-143

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1976

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Pigeons were exposed to variable‐interval and fixed‐interval schedules and schedules approximating variable‐interval and fixed‐interval schedules. The probabilities of the variable‐interval and fixed‐interval components in a mixed fixed‐interval variable‐interval schedule in Experiment I and the minimum and maximum interreinforcement intervals in Experiment II in a variable‐interval schedule were manipulated to create intermediate schedule contingencies and contingencies approximating simple variable‐interval or fixed‐interval contingencies. Maximal control by time as defined by quantitative indices of the temporal pattern of response occurred as fixed‐interval contingencies were approximated and minimal control occurred as variable‐interval contingencies were approximated. Changes in the temporal pattern of response were systematically related to changes in the temporal distribution of reinforcements with both procedural definitions for manipulating the temporal distr

ISSN:0022-5002    

DOI:10.1901/jeab.1976.26-155

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1976

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

The avoidance and fixed‐interval performances of human subjects were studied in two experiments. Addition of time‐correlated stimuli (added clock) improved behavioral efficiency, since response rates decreased without decreases in reinforcement rates. Response‐dependent display of the clock maintained a second, observing response and reductions in clock duration weakened such observing behavior. Generally, the reinforcing properties of the clock were more apparent with the avoidance than with the fixed‐interval schedule, a finding attributed to temporal cues already provided by delivery of the fixed‐interval reinforcers. Reduced rates of the main response when the clock was dependent on an observing response were more than offset by rates of the observing response in the majority of subjects. Thus, the results do not support an interpretation of the reinforcing properties of added clocks simply in terms of work

ISSN:0022-5002    

DOI:10.1901/jeab.1976.26-165

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1976

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Pigeons were given repeated two‐day conditionings alternating with eight‐day extinctions using a trial procedure. One group had different key colors during each of the first five conditioning‐extinction pairs; another group had the same key color throughout. Total extinction responses of both groups were quite constant over successive extinctions. This finding differs from the rapid declines found in most previous studies with bar‐press and key‐peck responses. The difference probably was due to our longer extinctions, because responses early in each extinction did decrease. However, that decrease was neutralized by increases in responses late in each extinction. The two opposite changes indicate the influence of two different factors during repeated extinctions, with neither factor having much stimulus specificity. The reduction of early responses may result from feeding changes confounded with extinction. The increase in later extinction responses may result from a decrease in the effect of unreinforced responses after their repeated o

ISSN:0022-5002    

DOI:10.1901/jeab.1976.26-181

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1976

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Pigeons with extensive training pecking a key illuminated by a white line then had brief training with the key illuminated by 555 nanometers. This was immediately followed by a wavelength generalization test in extinction. Dimensional stimulus control about the training wavelength increased with the duration and number of reinforcements given on variable‐interval 30‐sec and variable‐interval 10‐sec schedules in Experiment I. In Experiment II, dimensional stimulus control was obtained after only 4 min of wavelength training from birds with prior and independent discrimination training. Experiment III provided groups equated in number of reinforcers with groups in Experiment I and two 8‐min duration groups. Analyses, which included results from both Experiments I and III, showed that dimensional stimulus control increased: (a) more rapidly as a function of the duration of variable‐interval 10‐sec than variable‐interval 30‐sec reinforcement; (b) at the same rate across variable‐interval reinforcement schedules, as a function of the number of reinforcers available during brief

ISSN:0022-5002    

DOI:10.1901/jeab.1976.26-191

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1976

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

The responses of four pigeons were first reinforced in the presence of two different wavelengths (green and red) on a two‐ply multiple schedule with identical variable‐interval 3‐min schedules of reinforcement associated with each component. While the constant‐component reinforcement schedule remained unchanged during the experiment, the schedule associated with the variable component was changed to (1) signalled variable time, (2) unsignalled variable time, or (3) signalled variable interval. The probability with which the availability of the reinforcer was signalled in the variable‐interval schedules was either 0.5 or 1.0. Positive contrast occurred in both signalled variable‐interval and variable‐time schedules, but only when the availability of all the variable‐component reinforcers was signalled. Signalling the availability of only 50% of the reinforcers in signalled variable‐interval schedules resulted in negative induction. The present data suggest that positive behavioral contrast resulting from signalled reinforcer availability is due to the presence of an extinction‐

ISSN:0022-5002    

DOI:10.1901/jeab.1976.26-199

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1976

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

During training sessions, pigeons were successively exposed to compounds consisting of a white triangle on a red background and a white circle on a green background. Key pecking intermittently produced grain reinforcers in the presence of one form‐color compound. Once key pecking was confined to the compound associated with reinforcement, the elements—red, green, triangle, and circle—were presented during a test in which no reinforcement was available. Each bird pecked nearly exclusively in the presence of the color previously associated with reinforcement, a result that might be interpreted as indicating that the subjects had attended to color, but not form during training. Pecking was next reinforced when either the triangle or the circle was present. Pecking in the presence of the form previously associated with reinforcement was acquired more rapidly. This result suggests that the birds had learned about the forms during training, and that conclusions about attention based on the lack of differential pecking in the nonreinforcement test may not be approp

ISSN:0022-5002    

DOI:10.1901/jeab.1976.26-207

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1976

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Pigeons were studied on a three‐component multiple schedule where all reinforcement was independent of responding. Two components were cued by different keylights and were associated with different rates of reinforcement. The third was always a no‐key period associated with extinction. After a few sessions, pecking was elicited by the keylights signalling the reinforcement and continued to be maintained indefinitely. The duration and sequence of the three components were varied to determine if the primary controlling variable was differences in the overall probability of reinforcement, or if it was the immediate change in reinforcement signalled by the onset and/or offset of the stimulus. Both variables were found to control behavior. When 30‐sec components were used, the primary controlling variable was the overall probability of reinforcement, but when 3‐min components were used, overall probability had little effect. Control by local changes in reinforcement also occurred, although the type of local control varied both across subjects and experimental conditions. Some behaviors were controlled more by the change in reinforcement signalled by the onset of the stimulus, while others were controlled more by the change signalled by the offset of the s

ISSN:0022-5002    

DOI:10.1901/jeab.1976.26-213

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1976

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Water‐deprived rats were studied under a compound schedule that prescribed that responses terminating interresponse times (IRTs) greater than a fixed value t1. (IRT>t1component schedule) initiated a delay of reinforcement interval t2, at the end of which water was presented if the subject did not respond (>t2component schedule). If the subject responded before the t2interval elapsed, the IRT>t1component schedule was re‐initiated and water was not presented. The IRT>t1and>t2component schedules were not differentially correlated with distinctive stimuli. Rate of responding during the IRT>t1component decreased as a function of the value of t2. The magnitude of the decreases in response rate appeared to be proportional to the subject's rate under the IRT>t schedule with no delay of reinforcement (t2= 0 sec). The effects were independent of the parameter value of the IRT>t1component schedule and of the rate of reinforcement. The results suggested that “efficiency” of performance under IRT>t schedules can be increased by appropriately arranging brief delays of reinfo

ISSN:0022-5002    

DOI:10.1901/jeab.1976.26-221

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1976

数据来源: WILEY