A sequential learning analysis of decisions in organizations to escalate investments despite continuing costs or losses

Reinforcement process may underlie decisions frequently found in organizations to escalate investments of time, money and other resources in strategies (e.g., product development, capital investment, plant expansion) that do not result in immediate reinforces. Whereas cognitive biases have been proffered in previous explanations, the present analysis suggested that this persistence is a form of resistance to extinction arising from experiences with past investments that were variably reinforced. This explanation was examined in two experiments by varying the pattern of returns and losses subjects experienced for investment decisions prior to experiencing a series losses. Consistent with the proposed explanation, two conditions resulted in higher levels of recommitment during continuous losses: (a) training using a variable schedule of partial reinforcement, and (b) no training on the task. Results indicate that behavior analysis can be used to understand and control situations in organizations that are prone to escalation, such as investments in the research and development of new product lines and extensions of further loans to customers.     

Spatiotemporal patterns of behavior produced by variable-interval schedules of reinforcement

The spatiotemporal patterns of behavior exhibited by two pigeons during a variable-interval 15-second schedule of food reinforcement, a variable-interval 5-minute schedule, and then extinction of key pecking were recorded using an apparatus that continuously tracked the position of the bird in the experimental chamber. The variable-interval 15-second schedule produced a close-to-key pattern between reinforcements with two types of regular excursions from the region of the key frequently occurring after reinforcement. Subsequent exposure to the variable-interval 5-minute schedule produced more extended and extremely regular patterns between responses. Reinstatement of the variable-interval 15-second schedule reestablished the close-to-key pattern with regular excursions frequently occurring after reinforcement. During extinction the spatiotemporal patterns that had developed during the variable-interval 5-minute schedule reappeared and gradually dissipated. These patterns may have been a form of superstitious behavior.     

ANALYSIS OF THE REINFORCEMENT AND EXTINCTION COMPONENTS IN DRO CONTINGENCIES WITH SELF-INJURY

Previous research has shown that self-injurious behavior (SIB) maintained by positive reinforcement may be reduced under differential-reinforcement-of-other-behavior (DRO) contingencies. In this study, we conducted an analysis of the reinforcement and extinction components of DRO while treating the self-injury of 3 women with developmental disabilities. A functional analysis revealed that each subject's SIB was maintained by positive reinforcement in the form of attention. Subsequent reinforcer assessments identified preferred and nonpreferred stimuli for later use in conjunction with DRO. Results showed high rates of SIB for all 3 subjects during baseline, which persisted when DRO was implemented without the relevant extinction component (withholding of attention for SIB) for 2 of the subjects. Low rates of SIB were observed for all subjects when DRO plus extinction was implemented or when extinction was implemented alone, suggesting that extinction may be a critical component of DRO schedules.