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A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF CHAIN‐SCHEDULE PERFORMANCE
Author(s) -
Davison Michael,
McCarthy Dianne
Publication year - 1989
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.1989.51-119
Subject(s) - reinforcement , schedule , statistics , variable (mathematics) , constant (computer programming) , interval (graph theory) , computer science , psychology , range (aeronautics) , mathematics , social psychology , mathematical analysis , combinatorics , programming language , operating system , materials science , composite material
Six pigeons were trained with a chain variable‐interval variable‐interval schedule on the left key and with reinforcers available on the right key on a single variable‐interval schedule arranged concurrently with both links of the chain. All three schedules were separately and systematically varied over a wide range of mean intervals. During these manipulations, the obtained reinforcer rates on constant arranged schedules also frequently changed systematically. Increasing reinforcer rates in Link 2 of the chain increased response rates in both links and decreased response rates in the variable‐interval schedule concurrently available with Link 2. Increasing Link‐1 reinforcer rates increased Link‐1 response rates and decreased Link‐2 response rates. Increasing reinforcer rates on the right‐key schedule decreased response rates in Link 1 of the chain but did not affect the rate in Link 2. The results extend and amplify previous analyses of chain‐schedule performance and help define the effects that a quantitative model must describe. However, the complexity of the results, and the fact that constant arranged reinforcer schedules did not necessarily lead to constant obtained reinforcer rates, precluded a quantitative analysis.