Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 28, 2026
09:45
New Variations for Strategy Set-shifting in the Rat
Published on: January 23, 2017
Human choice in "counterintuitive" situations: fixed- versus progressive-ratio schedules
B A Wanchisen1, T A Tatham, P N Hineline
1Temple University.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|July 1, 1992
Summary
College students chose between reinforcement schedules, optimizing for fewer responses per point. Results suggest longer exposure for human-animal comparison in reinforcement studies.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Operant Conditioning
Background:
- Operant conditioning involves schedules of reinforcement influencing behavior.
- Understanding human choice behavior under different reinforcement schedules is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate college undergraduates' choices between fixed-ratio and progressive-ratio schedules.
- To determine if human choices align with optimality principles in reinforcement.
Main Methods:
- Participants chose between fixed-ratio and progressive-ratio schedules.
- Progressive-ratio requirements increased with each choice.
- A reset condition returned the progressive ratio to baseline after fixed-ratio completion.
Main Results:
- Schedule choices were sensitive to fixed-ratio schedule size.
- Human choices aligned with minimizing responses per point earned.
- Data suggest longer exposure for human-animal comparison in reinforcement.
Conclusions:
- Human choice behavior in reinforcement tasks can be predicted by optimality principles.
- Extended exposure to reinforcement schedules may be necessary for cross-species comparisons.
Related Concept Videos
01:37Reason and Intuition
The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the brain can only use...
01:14Fundamental Attribution Error
According to some social psychologists, people tend to overemphasize internal factors as explanations—or attributions—for the behavior of other people. They tend to assume that the behavior of another person is a trait of that person, and to underestimate the power of the situation on the behavior of others. They tend to fail to recognize when the behavior of another is due to situational variables, and thus to the person’s state. This erroneous assumption is called the fundamental attribution...
01:24Reinforcement Schedules
Positive reinforcement is a powerful method for teaching new behaviors to both animals and humans. B.F. Skinner demonstrated this with his experiments using rats in a Skinner box. When a rat pressed a lever, it received a food pellet. This immediate reward encouraged the rat to repeat the behavior. This method, where a reward follows every instance of the behavior, is known as continuous reinforcement. It is highly effective for establishing new behaviors quickly.
Once a behavior is learned,...
Once a behavior is learned,...
01:08Timing and Consequences on Behavior
In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective.
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...