Nonstable concurrent choice in pigeons |
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Authors: | Schofield G Davison M |
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Institution: | CENTRAL QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIA AND AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY, NEW ZEALAND
Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia (E-mail: g.schofield@cqu.edu.au)
Department of Psychology, Auckland University, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand (E-mail: m.davison@auckland.ac.nz) |
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Abstract: | Six pigeons were trained on concurrent variable-interval schedules in which the arranged reinforcer ratios changed from session to session according to a 31-step pseudorandom binary sequence. This procedure allows a quantitative analysis of the degree to which performance in an experimental session is affected by conditions in previous sessions. Two experiments were carried out. In each, the size of the reinforcer ratios arranged between the two concurrent schedules was varied between 31-step conditions. In Experiment 1, the concurrent schedules were arranged independently, and in Experiment 2 they were arranged nonindependently. An extended form of the generalized matching law described the relative contribution of past and present events to present-session behavior. Total performance in sessions was mostly determined by the reinforcer ratio in that session and partially by reinforcers that had been obtained in previous sessions. However, the initial exposure to the random sequence produced a lower sensitivity to current-session reinforcers but no difference in overall sensitivity to reinforcement. There was no evidence that the size of the reinforcer ratios available on the concurrent schedules affected either overall sensitivity to reinforcement or the sensitivity to reinforcement in the current session. There was also no evidence of any different performance between independent and nonindependent scheduling. Because of these invariances, this experiment validates the use of the pseudorandom sequence for the fast determination of sensitivity to reinforcement. |
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Keywords: | concurrent schedules choice acquisition generalized matching key peck pigeons |
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