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AROUSAL, CHANGEOVER RESPONSES, AND PREFERENCE IN CONCURRENT SCHEDULES
Author(s) -
McDevitt Margaret A.,
Williams Ben A.
Publication year - 2003
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.2003.80-261
Subject(s) - changeover , reinforcement , schedule , psychology , preference , operant conditioning , arousal , audiology , developmental psychology , statistics , computer science , social psychology , mathematics , medicine , telecommunications , transmission (telecommunications) , operating system
Pigeons were trained on multiple schedules that provided concurrent reinforcement in each of two components. In Experiment 1, one component consisted of a variable‐interval (VI) 40‐s schedule presented with a VI 20‐s schedule, and the other a VI 40‐s schedule presented with a VI 80‐s schedule. After extended training, probe tests measured preference between the stimuli associated with the two 40‐s schedules. Probe tests replicated the results of Belke (1992) that showed preference for the 40‐s schedule that had been paired with the 80‐s schedule. In a second condition, the overall reinforcer rate provided by the two components was equated by adding a signaled VI schedule to the component with the lower reinforcer rate. Probe results were unchanged. In Experiment 2, pigeons were trained on alternating concurrent VI 30‐s VI 60‐s schedules. One schedule provided 2‐s access to food and the other provided 6‐s access. The larger reinforcer magnitude produced higher response rates and was preferred on probe trials. Rate of changeover responding, however, did not differ as a function of reinforcer magnitude. The present results demonstrate that preference on probe trials is not a simple reflection of the pattern of changeover behavior established during training.