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Related Experiment Videos

Choice in a variable environment: effects of blackout duration and extinction between components.

Michael Davison1, William M Baum

  • 1Psychology Department, University of Auckland, New Zealand. m.davison@auckland.ac.nz

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|February 8, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Pigeons showed less preference carryover between training components as delays increased. This suggests reinforcer effects may accumulate over longer periods than previously thought.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral psychology
  • Animal cognition
  • Operant conditioning

Background:

  • Investigating how reinforcer history influences choice behavior.
  • Understanding the temporal dynamics of preference in pigeons.
  • Examining the role of inter-component intervals in choice tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the effect of blackout duration on preference carryover between components.
  • To compare preference changes during blackout versus extinction periods.
  • To assess the validity of existing theories on local preference.

Main Methods:

  • Pigeons were trained on components with varying reinforcer ratios and randomized order.
  • Experiment 1 manipulated blackout duration (1-120s) between components.

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  • Experiment 2 compared 60s blackout with 60s unsignaled extinction between components.

    • Main Results:

    • Increasing blackout duration monotonically decreased preference carryover.
    • Preference decreased within components during blackout, mirroring between-component changes.
    • Preference during extinction fell to indifference, similar to blackout levels.
    • Residual preference persisted after extinction/blackout, suggesting longer-term effects.

    Conclusions:

    • Inter-component interval duration significantly impacts preference carryover.
    • Extinction and blackout periods similarly reduce immediate preference.
    • Current theories may underestimate the long-term accumulation of reinforcer effects.