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Assessing potential reinforcement‐like effects of brief stimuli unrelated to food reinforcers
Author(s) -
Bai John Y. H.,
Cowie Sarah,
Macaskill Anne C.,
Elliffe Douglas,
Podlesnik Christopher A.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of the experimental analysis of behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1938-3711
pISSN - 0022-5002
DOI - 10.1002/jeab.580
Subject(s) - reinforcement , stimulus (psychology) , psychology , animal behavior , audiology , developmental psychology , cognitive psychology , social psychology , medicine , zoology , biology
It is widely assumed that reinforcers are biologically relevant stimuli, or stimuli that have been associated with biologically relevant stimuli. However, brief, arbitrary stimuli have also been reported to have reinforcement‐like effects, despite being unrelated to biologically relevant stimuli like food. The present study explored the potential reinforcement‐like effects of brief stimuli across 5 experiments. In Experiments 1 through 4, pigeon subjects responded for food reinforcement and brief stimulus presentations in a 2‐component multiple schedule. Neither baseline response rates nor resistance to change during disruption tests were systematically greater in a component with versus without brief stimulus presentations. Increasing the rate and duration of brief stimulus presentations in Experiment 4 did not reveal reinforcement‐like effects when compared directly with food. In Experiment 5, pigeons chose between independent terminal links in a concurrent‐chains procedure. Across conditions, varying the location, duration, and rate of brief stimulus presentations in the terminal links had no systematic effects on preference. In contrast, varying rates of food reinforcers resulted in large and reliable shifts in preference. Therefore, the present study found no systematic evidence that brief stimuli unrelated to food reliably increase response rates, resistance to change, or preference. These data demonstrate the value of systematic replication, and a behavioral momentum approach to assessing potential reinforcement‐like effects.