title: Assessing potency of high- and low-preference reinforcers with respect to response rate and response patterns.
abstract: Previous research has suggested that the availability of high-preference stimuli may override the reinforcing efficacy of concurrently available low-preference stimuli under relatively low schedule requirements (e.g., fixed-ratio 1 schedule). It is unknown if similar effects would be obtained under higher schedule requirements. Thus, the current study compared high-preference and low-preference reinforcers under progressively increasing schedule requirements. Results for 3 of the 4 participants indicated that high-preference stimuli maintained responding under higher schedule requirements relative to low-preference stimuli. For 1 participant, high-preference and low-preference stimuli were demonstrated to be equally effective reinforcers under increasing schedule requirements. Implications with respect to rate of performance and response patterns are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA.
authors.forename: Becky
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Penrod
authors.forename: Michele D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Edwin J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Dyer
mesh_terms: D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003118:Color Perception; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D014040:Token Economy; D016896:Treatment Outcome