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POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL CONTRAST WHEN PIGEONS PRESS TREADLES DURING MULTIPLE SCHEDULES
Author(s) -
McSweeney Frances K.
Publication year - 1983
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.1983.39-149
Subject(s) - contrast (vision) , extinction (optical mineralogy) , psychology , interval (graph theory) , variable (mathematics) , reinforcement , schedule , social psychology , developmental psychology , cognitive psychology , mathematics , artificial intelligence , computer science , combinatorics , biology , paleontology , mathematical analysis , operating system
Pigeons were placed on multiple variable‐interval 15‐second variable‐interval 15‐second and on multiple variable‐interval 15‐second extinction schedules in which treadle presses produced food reinforcers. Positive behavioral contrast occurred. That is, rates of responding were higher during the variable‐interval 15‐second component when the other component was extinction than when it was another variable‐interval 15‐second schedule. These results contradict the findings of other studies, which failed to find positive contrast when pigeons pressed treadles for food reinforcers. They may also question the additive theories of behavioral contrast that predict that contrast should not occur in this situation.