Effects of unpredictable changes in initial-link duration on choice and timing.
Four pigeons responded in a concurrent-chains procedure in which terminal-link schedules were fixed-interval (FI) 10s and FI 20s. Across sessions, the location of the shorter terminal-link changed according to a pseudorandom binary sequence. Each session, the variable-interval initial-link schedule value was sampled from a uniform distribution that ranged from 0.01 to 30s. On some terminal links, food was withheld to obtain measures of temporal control. Terminal-link delays determined choice (log initial-link response ratios) and timing (start and stop times on no-food trials) measures, which stabilized within the 1st half of each session. Preference for the shorter terminal-link delay was a monotonically decreasing function of initial-link duration. There was no evidence of control by initial-link durations from previous sessions.
University of Canterbury, Department of Psychology, Christchurch, New Zealand. elizabeth.kyonka@pg.canterbury.ac.nz
Elizabeth G E
EG
Kyonka
Randolph C
RC
Grace
D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D010856:Columbidae; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology