title: Effects of point-loss punishers on human signal-detection performance.
abstract: Three experiments using human participants varied the distribution of point-gain reinforcers or point-loss punishers in two-alternative signal-detection procedures. Experiment 1 varied the distribution of point-gain reinforcers for correct responses (Group A) and point-loss punishers for errors (Group B) across conditions. Response bias varied systematically as a function of the relative reinforcer or punisher frequencies. Experiment 2 arranged two conditions - one where an unequal ratio of reinforcement (5ratio1 or 1ratio5) was presented without punishment (R-only), and another where the same reinforcer ratio was presented with an equal distribution of point-loss punishers (R+P). Response bias was significantly greater in the R-only condition than the R+P condition, supporting a subtractive model of punishment. Experiment 3 varied the distribution of point-gain reinforcers for correct responses across four unequal reinforcer ratios (5ratio1, 2ratio1, 1ratio2, 1ratio5) both without (R-only) and with (R+P) an equal distribution of point-loss punishers for errors. Response bias varied systematically with changes in relative reinforcer frequency for both R-only and R+P conditions, with 5 out of 8 participants showing increases in sensitivity estimates from R-only to R+P conditions. Overall, the results indicated that punishers have similar but opposite effects to reinforcers in detection procedures and that combined reinforcer and punisher effects might be better modeled by a subtractive punishment model than an additive punishment model, consistent with research using concurrent-schedule choice procedures.
authors.affiliation: University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. celia@psy.otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lie
authors.forename: Brent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alsop
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003118:Color Perception; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011678:Punishment; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D055815:Young Adult