Local preference in concurrent schedules: the effects of reinforcer sequences.
We investigated the effects that sequences of reinforcers obtained from the same response key have on local preference in concurrent variable-interval schedules with pigeons as subjects. With an overall reinforcer rate of one every 27 s, on average, reinforcers were scheduled dependently, and the probability that a reinforcer would be arranged on the same alternative as the previous reinforcer was manipulated. Throughout the experiment, the overall reinforcer ratio was 1:1, but across conditions we varied the average lengths of same-key reinforcer sequences by varying this conditional probability from 0 to 1. Thus, in some conditions, reinforcer locations changed frequently, whereas in others there tended to be very long sequences of same-key reinforcers. Although there was a general tendency to stay at the just-reinforced alternative, this tendency was considerably decreased in conditions where same-key reinforcer sequences were short. Some effects of reinforcers are at least partly to be accounted for by their signaling subsequent reinforcer locations.
Krägeloh
Christian U
CU
Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand. c.krageloh@auckland.ac.nz
Davison
Michael
M
Elliffe
Douglas M
DM
D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior; D001288:Attention; D002755:Choice Behavior; D010856:Columbidae; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009042:Motivation; D011337:Probability Learning; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012691:Serial Learning