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PREFERENCE AND RESISTANCE TO CHANGE WITH CONSTANT‐ AND VARIABLE‐DURATION TERMINAL LINKS: INDEPENDENCE OF REINFORCEMENT RATE AND MAGNITUDE
Author(s) -
Grace Randolph C.,
Bedell Melissa A.,
Nevin John A.
Publication year - 2002
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.2002.77-233
Subject(s) - reinforcement , preference , schedule , duration (music) , statistics , constant (computer programming) , psychology , independence (probability theory) , variable (mathematics) , magnitude (astronomy) , mathematics , social psychology , computer science , art , mathematical analysis , literature , programming language , operating system , physics , astronomy
Pigeons responded in a three‐component multiple concurrent‐chains procedure in which the variable‐interval reinforcement schedules were the same across components but magnitudes differed across components. The terminal links were arranged either as a variable delay followed by presentation of a reinforcer (“variable duration”) or as a fixed period of access to the schedule during which a variable number of reinforcers could be earned (“constant duration”). Relative reinforcement rate was varied parametrically across both types of conditions. After baseline training in each condition, resistance to change of terminal‐link responding was assessed by delivering food during the initial links according to a variable‐time schedule. Both preference and resistance to change were more sensitive to reinforcement‐rate differences in the constant‐duration conditions. Sensitivities of preference and resistance to change to relative reinforcement rate did not change depending on relative reinforcement magnitude. Taken together, these results confirm and extend those of prior studies, and suggest that reinforcement rate and magnitude combine additively to determine preference and resistance to change. A single structural relation linking preference and resistance to change describes all the data from this and several related studies.