Premium
PREFERENCE FOR SIGNALLED REINFORCEMENT 1
Author(s) -
Lewis Paul,
Lewin Lewis,
Muehleisen Penny,
Stoyak Michael
Publication year - 1974
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.1974.22-143
Subject(s) - changeover , reinforcement , schedule , pecking order , psychology , key (lock) , computer science , social psychology , telecommunications , computer security , transmission (telecommunications) , evolutionary biology , biology , operating system
Key pecking was reinforced on a two‐component multiple schedule. A variable‐interval schedule controlled reinforcement in both components. During one component, access to reinforcement was preceded by a tone; Final Acceptance in the other component, a standard unsignalled schedule was in effect. After performance stabilized, subjects were given a choice between the signalled and unsignalled schedules. They were placed in the chamber with the unsignalled schedule in effect on the right key. A single response on the left, or changeover, key produced the signalled schedule for 1 min. Both pigeons in Experiment I pecked the changeover key at a rate sufficient to remain under the signalled schedule for over 90% of the session. Removing and reintroducing the tone demonstrated that the changeover‐key responses were due to the occurrence of the tone. In Experiment II, when pecking the changeover key produced the unsignalled schedule, pecking the changeover key declined. The results may be explained either in terms of Hendry's information hypothesis or as escape from an intermittent positive reinforcement schedule.