title: Effects of reinforcer quality and step size on rats' performance under progressive ratio schedules.
abstract: The Mathematical Principles of Reinforcement (MPR) model accurately predicts performance in fixed ratio (FR) schedules of reinforcement. The aim of the present study was to assess the generality of MPR with rats responding under progressive ratio (PR) schedules of different step sizes (PR1 or PR3) that provided either food or saccharin pellets. The results showed that the rats responding for saccharin pellets produced higher breakpoints (i.e., completed higher ratios) than those responding for food pellets. In terms of theoretical parameters, one finding unanticipated on the basis of MPR was that the a parameter (specific activation) was higher for the PR3 schedules. This finding suggests that specific activation may be affected indirectly by motor parameters of the task.
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Guadalajara-CUCBA-Instituto de Neurociencias, Francisco de Quevedo 180, Arcos Vallarta 44130, Guadalajara, Mexico. cscpablo@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Covarrubias
authors.forename: Carlos F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Aparicio
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012201:Reward