Comparing preference and resistance to change in constant- and variable-duration schedule components.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral science
• Animal behavior
• Operant conditioning

Background:

• Preference and resistance to change are key concepts in behavioral economics.
• Previous research indicates a covariation between preference and resistance to change.
• Understanding these behaviors is crucial for predicting responses to complex reinforcement schedules.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how reinforcement schedule duration (variable vs. constant) affects preference and resistance to change in pigeons.
• To examine the influence of reinforcement numerosity on these behavioral measures.
• To test the explanatory power of current models in predicting these outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Concurrent chains procedure with terminal links as variable-interval schedules of either variable or constant duration.
• Pigeons served as subjects in two experiments.
• Resistance to change was assessed using response-independent food and prefeeding manipulations.

Main Results:

• Preference overmatched relative reinforcement rate for constant-duration schedules but not variable-duration schedules.
• Pigeons consistently preferred constant-duration terminal links over single-reinforcer terminal links.
• Resistance to change aligned with preference, with less decrease in responding for preferred schedules.

Conclusions:

• Preference and resistance to change generally covary as predicted.
• Reinforcement numerosity and variability may play a more significant role than current models account for.
• Findings suggest a need to refine existing models of choice and persistence in operant behavior.