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Related Experiment Video

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Radio Frequency Identification and Motion-sensitive Video Efficiently Automate Recording of Unrewarded Choice Behavior by Bumblebees
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Published on: November 15, 2014

Variation, repetition, and choice.

Josele Abreu-Rodrigues1, Kennon A Lattal, Cristiano V dos Santos

  • 1Departamento de Processos Psicológicos Básicos, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de Brasilia, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil. abreu@unb.br

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
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PubMed
Summary

Pigeons preferred repeating behavior over variable behavior when reinforcement was immediate. Preference for repeating responses increased as the required variation in the alternative response increased.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral psychology
  • Animal behavior
  • Operant conditioning

Background:

  • Understanding behavioral variability is crucial for explaining choice behavior.
  • Contingencies of reinforcement shape response patterns, including repetition and variation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how variability contingencies control choice between repeated and variable responding.
  • To examine the influence of lag criteria on response variation and preference.
  • To assess the role of reinforcement immediacy in choice behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Pigeons were exposed to concurrent-chains schedules with REPEAT and VARY alternatives.
  • The REPEAT alternative reinforced a fixed sequence of four responses.
  • The VARY alternative reinforced sequences differing from the 'n' previous sequences (lag criterion).
  • Experiment 2 yoked interreinforcer intervals to control for reinforcement immediacy.

Main Results:

  • The REPEAT contingency yielded low, constant sequence variation.
  • The VARY contingency produced sequence variation that increased with the lag criterion.
  • Preference for the REPEAT alternative increased with the degree of variation required in the VARY alternative.
  • Preference for REPEAT remained a function of the lag criterion even when reinforcement immediacy was controlled.

Conclusions:

  • Variability contingencies exert significant control over choice between repeated and variable responding.
  • Preference for repeating behavior is influenced by the difficulty (lag criterion) of variable behavior.
  • Reinforcement immediacy does not fully account for the observed preference patterns.