title: Temporal context in concurrent chains: I. Terminal-link duration.
abstract: Two experiments are reported in which the ratio of the average times spent in the terminal and initial links (Tt/Ti) in concurrent chains was varied. In Experiment 1, pigeons responded in a three-component procedure in which terminal-link variable-interval schedules were in constant ratio, but their average duration increased across components by a factor of two. The log initial-link response ratio was a negatively accelerated function of Tt/Ti. Overall, the data were well described by Grace's (1994) contextual choice model (CCM) with temporal context represented as (Tt/Ti)k or 2Tt/(Tt + Ti), and by Mazur's (2001) hyperbolic value-added model (HVA), with each model accounting for approximately 93% of the variance. In Experiment 2, fixed-parameter predictions for each model were generated, based on the data from Experiment 1, for conditions in which Tt/Ti was varied over a more extreme range. Data were consistent with the predictions of CCM with temporal context represented as 2Tt/(Tt + Ti) and to a lesser extent as (Tt/Ti)k, but not with HVA. Overall, these results suggest that preference increases as a hyperbolic function of Tt/Ti when terminal-link duration is increased relative to initial-link duration, with the terminal-link schedule ratio held constant.
authors.affiliation: University of Canterbury, Department of Psychology, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand. r.grace@psyc.canterbury.ac.nz
authors.forename: Randolph C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Grace
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D002755:Choice Behavior; D010856:Columbidae; D008954:Models, Biological; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D013997:Time Factors