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CHOICE IN A “SELF‐CONTROL” PARADIGM: EFFECTS OF A FADING PROCEDURE
Author(s) -
Mazur James E.,
Logue A. W.
Publication year - 1978
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.1978.30-11
Subject(s) - reinforcement , psychology , pecking order , preference , audiology , self control , developmental psychology , social psychology , statistics , medicine , mathematics , evolutionary biology , biology
Pigeons chose between an immediate 2‐second reinforcer (access to grain) and a 6‐second reinforcer delayed 6 seconds. The four pigeons in the control group were exposed to this condition initially. The four experimental subjects first received a condition where both reinforcers were delayed 6 seconds. The small reinforcer delay was then gradually reduced to zero over more than 11,000 trials. Control subjects almost never chose the large delayed reinforcer. Experimental subjects chose the large delayed reinforcer significantly more often. Two experimental subjects showed preference for the large reinforcer even when the consequences for pecking the two keys were switched. The results indicate that fading procedures can lead to increased “self‐control” in pigeons in a choice between a large delayed reinforcer and a small immediate reinforcer.