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Related Experiment Videos

Periodicities within a fixed-interval session.

J H Wearden

    Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
    |May 1, 1979
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Rats on fixed-interval schedules showed periodic patterns in their responding and postreinforcement pauses. These patterns were more consistent than random chance, suggesting underlying temporal control mechanisms in behavior.

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    Area of Science:

    • Behavioral science
    • Animal behavior research
    • Operant conditioning

    Background:

    • Fixed-interval (FI) schedules are fundamental in operant conditioning.
    • Understanding response patterns within intervals is crucial for behavioral analysis.
    • Postreinforcement pause (PRP) is a key variable in FI schedules.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate within-session periodicities in response rates and postreinforcement pauses.
    • To examine the relationship between response numbers and PRP durations.
    • To assess the impact of response manipulation on PRP.

    Main Methods:

    • Rats were exposed to fixed-interval schedules of 1, 2, and 3 minutes.
    • Response counts per interval and postreinforcement pause durations were recorded.

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  • A response prevention technique was employed to alter responding within intervals.

    • Main Results:

    • No systematic relationship was found between PRP values and the number of responses in successive intervals.
    • Directional changes in response numbers and PRP showed significant periodicities.
    • Response prevention had minimal effect on PRP, except when limiting responses to one, which abnormally reduced PRP.

    Conclusions:

    • Behavior under FI schedules exhibits periodic temporal control beyond simple reinforcement effects.
    • The postreinforcement pause is influenced by factors beyond the immediate response count.
    • Response prevention can disrupt normal PRP patterns, particularly with severe response restriction.