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Related Experiment Videos

Exploring a concurrent-chains paradox: decreasing preference as an initial link is shortened.

James E Mazur1

  • 1Psychology Department, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT 06515, USA. mazurj1@southernct.edu

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Animal Behavior Processes
|January 20, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Researchers studied a paradoxical effect in pigeons and rats regarding choice behavior under concurrent-chains schedules. The paradoxical effect, a decreased preference for a longer delay, was observed only when switching to the shorter delay was unlikely.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Psychology
  • Animal Behavior
  • Operant Conditioning

Background:

  • Concurrent-chains schedules are used to study choice behavior and preference.
  • A paradoxical effect, where preference decreases with shorter delays, has been previously reported.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the paradoxical effect reported by Preston and Fantino (1991) in pigeons and rats.
  • To determine the conditions under which this paradoxical effect occurs in concurrent-chains schedules.

Main Methods:

  • Experiments were conducted using pigeons and rats.
  • Concurrent-chains schedules with varying initial and terminal link durations were employed.
  • Response-reinforcer delays were analyzed to understand choice behavior.

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Main Results:

  • The paradoxical effect (decreased preference for a 20-s delay as its initial link shortened) was observed in some, but not all, conditions.
  • The effect was contingent on the likelihood of switching to the alternative schedule.
  • When switching to the shorter delay was improbable, the paradoxical effect was eliminated.

Conclusions:

  • The occurrence of the paradoxical effect is dependent on the specific parameters of the concurrent-chains schedule, particularly the initial link durations.
  • Response-reinforcer delays and the perceived ability to switch between options play a critical role in choice behavior.
  • Findings contribute to understanding decision-making processes in animals under complex schedules of reinforcement.