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CUED AND UNCUED TERMINAL LINKS IN CONCURRENT‐CHAINS SCHEDULES
Author(s) -
Alsop Brent,
Stewart Karen E.,
Honig Werner K.
Publication year - 1994
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.1994.62-385
Subject(s) - cued speech , terminal (telecommunication) , schedule , reinforcement , psychology , stimulus (psychology) , communication , computer science , cognitive psychology , social psychology , computer network , operating system
Pigeons were trained on a concurrent‐chains schedule. The initial links were concurrent variable‐interval schedules arranged on two side keys. Each terminal link was a fixed‐interval schedule arranged on the center key. In cued conditions, different center‐key colors signaled the two terminal‐link schedules. In uncued conditions, the same center‐key color appeared for both terminal links. Experiment 1 arranged unequal initial links and equal terminal links. Preference for the shorter initial‐link schedule was greater when the terminal links were uncued. Experiment 2 arranged equal initial links and unequal terminal links. Preference for the shorter terminal‐link schedule was greater when the terminal links were cued. Although the results of Experiment 2 successfully replicated previous research, the results of Experiment 1 are not easily reconciled with conditioned‐reinforcement or discriminative‐stimulus accounts of the role of terminal‐link cues. Rather, terminal‐link cues appear to decrease sensitivity to initial‐link contingencies.