Delay-reduction theory--the case for temporal context: comment on Grace and Savastano (2000).
R. C. Grace and H. I. Savastano (2000) have devised a procedure to determine whether the effectiveness of a stimulus as a conditioned reinforcer depends on the temporal context of reinforcement. Although they interpret their results in terms of the contextual choice model, which maintains that value is independent of context, the results also support delay-reduction theory, which maintains that value depends on temporal context. It is argued that the delay-reduction view of the role of temporal context is also intuitively more plausible and more consistent with the way choice responds to changes in conditions.
Fantino
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Department of Psychology-0109, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0109, USA. efantino@ucsd.edu
D000818:Animals; D010856:Columbidae; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D003657:Decision Making; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D013997:Time Factors