Open AccessResponse Stereotypy in Humans Maintained by Response‐Contingent Events
Author(s) -
Ono Koichi
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
japanese psychological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.392
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1468-5884
pISSN - 0021-5368
DOI - 10.1111/1468-5884.00060
Subject(s) - reinforcement , contiguity , psychology , stereotypy , schedule , developmental psychology , contrast (vision) , social psychology , cognitive psychology , computer science , neuroscience , artificial intelligence , amphetamine , dopamine , operating system
The present study examined stereotyped behaviors developed during human performances that were generated by response‐dependent intermittent schedules of reinforcement. Thirty university students were assigned to either fixed‐interval 30‐s or fixed‐ratio 30‐s schedules in which points or monetary reinforcers were produced only by presses on the number keys of a 41‐key computer keyboard. Behavior patterns developed by all subjects were classified into four categories: optimal, random, unique, and general stereotypes. The general stereotypes category was further subdivided into five idiosyncratic types: connection, order, shift, repeat, and restriction. Analysis of the data demonstrated the role of contiguity: Whatever behavior happened to precede reinforcers was repeated even though reinforcers did not depend on that behavior. These findings support the argument that much of idiosyncratic and stereotyped human behavior is produced and maintained by contingencies of reinforcement, rather than schedule‐induced or adjunctive behavior.