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PSYCHOPHYSICS OF KEY‐PECK DURATION IN THE PIGEON
Author(s) -
Zeiler Michael D.,
Davis Eric R.,
DeCasper A. J.
Publication year - 1980
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.1980.34-23
Subject(s) - peck (imperial) , duration (music) , reinforcement , intermittency , psychology , statistics , mathematics , social psychology , physics , geometry , acoustics , turbulence , thermodynamics
The duration of the pigeon's key peck was differentially reinforced in either a trials or a free‐operant procedure. Mean emitted peck duration was a power function of the duration required for food delivery to occur. The exponents of the power function differed considerably from those observed in earlier research involving longer duration responses in pigeons and other species. The coefficients of variation also did not correspond with those of the earlier research on other responses, nor did consideration of the durations actually reinforced resolve the differences. Duration was neither a function of response rate nor of intermittency of reinforcement. Key‐peck duration was changed in an orderly way by differential reinforcement. However, it appeared to be more strongly determined by its duration in the absence of differential reinforcement than were longer duration responses.