Sensitivity of preference to reinforcement amount depends upon the method used to manipulate amount
- UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- David R. Maguire (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )
- Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/
- Advisor
- Raymond Pitts
Abstract: Four pigeons were trained on concurrent variable-interval 30-s schedules.
Relative reinforcer amounts arranged across the two alternatives was varied. During
Experiment 1, sessions consisted of a mixed concurrent schedule with different ratios of
reinforcer amounts arranged for the two alternatives across components. Sessions
consisted of 5 components that differed only with respect to the relative reinforcer
amounts arranged for each alternative. Reinforcer amount was manipulated by
presenting an arranged number of brief (1.2-s) hopper presentations. The amounts
presented ranged from one to five presentations and the ratios used were 1/5, 2/4, 3/3,
4/2, and 5/1 (L/R). The order of ratios within each session was randomly determined, and
there were no exteroceptive stimuli signaling the particular ratio in effect. After 60
sessions of training, responding for all subjects remained insensitive to reinforcer amount
ratios. During Experiment 2, relative reinforcer was held constant within and across
sessions until responding became stable, at which point, the absolute amounts arranged
for each alternative were switched. The ratios used were 1/7 and 7/1 hopper
presentations. After six sessions in each condition, all subjects showed an appreciable
shift in preference toward the alternative providing the larger amount, and asymptotic
sensitivity was comparable to previous reports using a similar procedure. During
Experiment 3, sessions were identical to those used during Experiment 2, except that the
amount ratio (either 1/7 or 7/1) presented during each session changed from session to
session according to a pseudorandom binary sequence (cf., Hunter & Davison, 1985).
After 30 sessions, response ratios within each session for all subjects began to shift in the
direction of the amount ratio in effect for that session (i.e., subjects’ responding showed a moderate increase in sensitivity to reinforcer amount). Characteristics of responding
under this procedure were quite similar to responding procedures under which reinforcer
rate and delay were manipulated in much the same fashion. The procedure used in
Experiment 3 may serve as a method for studying the effects of certain environmental
manipulations (e.g., drug administration) on sensitivity to reinforcer amount.
Sensitivity of preference to reinforcement amount depends upon the method used to manipulate amount
PDF (Portable Document Format)
1185 KB
Created on 1/1/2009
Views: 1673
Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- A Thesis Submitted to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Masters of Arts
- Language: English
- Date: 2009
- Keywords
- Animal experimentation, Pigeons--Experiments, Reinforcement (Psychology)
- Subjects
- Reinforcement (Psychology)
- Pigeons -- Experiments
- Animal experimentation