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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
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Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
Published on: January 23, 2017
The Wyckoff observing response-a reappraisal
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|September 1, 1972
Summary
Pigeons
Area of Science:
- Behavioral psychology
- Animal cognition
- Operant conditioning
Background:
- Pigeons were trained using a Wyckoff observing response procedure.
- Key responses were reinforced on a mixed schedule (fixed-interval and extinction components).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the control of the Wyckoff pedal response.
- To examine the relationship between key-response rates and pedal-standing time.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1: Manipulated consequences of pedal stepping (schedule conversion, stimulus removal, or no consequence).
- Experiment 2: Assessed the effect of removing mixed-schedule stimuli of varying similarity.
- Experiment 3: Repeated Wyckoff's discrimination procedure.
Main Results:
- The Wyckoff pedal response was not controlled by stimulus removal or discriminative stimuli.
- A correlation was found between key-response rates and pedal-standing time.
- This correlation depended on the physical arrangement of the key and pedal.
Conclusions:
- The Wyckoff pedal response is not solely driven by stimulus changes or discriminative properties.
- The physical layout of the experimental apparatus influences the relationship between different operant behaviors.
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