Does Sensitivity to Magnitude Depend on the Temporal Distribution of Reinforcement?

Autor/inn/en	Grace, Randolph C.; Bragason, Orn
Titel	Does Sensitivity to Magnitude Depend on the Temporal Distribution of Reinforcement?
Quelle	In: Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 83 (2005) 2, S.169-184 (16 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0022-5002
Schlagwörter	Reinforcement; Intervals; Animal Behavior; Animals; Behavioral Science Research; Food; Visual Stimuli; Color; Light + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Positive Verstärkung; Tierverhalten; Animal; Tier; Tiere; Lebensmittel; Colour; Farbbezeichnung; Farbe; Licht
Abstract	Our research addressed the question of whether sensitivity to relative reinforcer magnitude in concurrent chains depends on the distribution of reinforcer delays when the terminal-link schedules are equal. In Experiment 1, 12 pigeons responded in a two-component procedure. In both components, the initial links were concurrent variable-interval 40 s variable-interval 40 s, and the terminal links were both 20-s interval schedules in which responses were reinforced by either 4 s of grain in one, or 2 s of grain in the other. The only difference between the components was whether the terminal-link schedules were fixed interval or variable intervals. For all subjects, the relative rate of responding in the initial links for the terminal link that produced the 4-s reinforcer was greater when the terminal links were fixed-interval schedules than when they were variable-interval schedules. This result is contrary to the prediction of Grace's (1994) contextual choice model, but is consistent with both Mazur's (2001) hyperbolic value-added model and Killeen's (1985) incentive theory. In Experiment 2, 4 pigeons responded in a concurrent-chains procedure in which 4-s or 2-s reinforcers were provided independently of responding according to equal fixed-time or mixed-time schedules. Preference for the 4-s reinforcer increased as the variability of the intervals comprising the mixed-time schedules was decreased. Generalized-matching sensitivity of initial-link response allocation to relative reinforcer magnitude was proportional to the geometric mean of the terminal-link delays. (Contains 3 tables, 3 figures, and 1 footnote.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. Available from: Indiana University Department of Psychology. Bloomington, IN 47405. Tel: 812-334-0395; Fax: 812-855-4691; e-mail: jeab@indiana.edu; Web site: http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jeab/index.html
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10