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SOME NOTES ON TIME OUT FROM REINFORCEMENT 1
Author(s) -
Zimmerman J.,
Ferster C. B.
Publication year - 1964
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 - 10.1901/jeab.1964.7-13
Subject(s) - pecking order , reinforcement , extinction (optical mineralogy) , psychology , monotonic function , schedule , duration (music) , mathematics , statistics , social psychology , computer science , biology , ecology , physics , mathematical analysis , optics , acoustics , operating system
Pigeons produced food on a fixed‐ratio schedule by pecking at one key, and an S Δ period by pecking at a second (switching) key. Switching behavior was examined as a function of (a) size of the fixed ratio, (b) whether the S Δ was of fixed duration or could be determined by the bird, (c) the introduction of a novel food S D , (d) extinction of food responding, and (e) the stimuli associated with the S D and S Δ conditions. No monotonic relationship was obtained between ratio size and switching behavior. Switching behavior was, however, influenced by many variables. The results suggest that an interpretation of switching behavior in terms of its being reinforced by the removal of aversive conditions, is open to considerable question.