Delayed reinforcement in a multiple schedule.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral psychology
• Animal behavior studies
• Operant conditioning principles

Background:

• Multiple schedules of reinforcement are used to study how changes in one condition affect behavior in another.
• Behavioral contrast is a phenomenon where changes in reinforcement in one component alter responding in a different component.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the conditions under which behavioral contrast occurs in a multiple schedule.
• To determine if reduced response rates or reinforcement frequency in a delay component are necessary for behavioral contrast.

Main Methods:

• Rats and a pigeon were trained on a two-component multiple schedule.
• Reinforcement was initially immediate, then delayed in one component.
• Equal variable-interval (pigeon) or random-interval (rats) schedules were used in both components.

Main Results:

• Delayed reinforcement in one component increased response rates in the non-delayed component.
• This behavioral contrast effect was observed even when response rates or reinforcement frequency did not decrease in the delay component.

Conclusions:

• Reduced response rate or reinforcement frequency in one component may not be required for behavioral contrast.
• Behavioral contrast may arise from the introduction of a less-preferred condition (delayed vs. immediate reinforcement).