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Key-peck durations under behavioral contrast and differential reinforcement
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|September 1, 1980
Summary
Behavioral contrast in pigeons was studied by altering reinforcement schedules. Results suggest response duration is sensitive to differential reinforcement, challenging existing theories.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral psychology
- Animal behavior studies
- Operant conditioning research
Background:
- Behavioral contrast is a phenomenon where changes in reinforcement in one component of a schedule affect behavior in another.
- Previous theories suggested that behavioral contrast involves short-duration responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate behavioral contrast in pigeons under multiple schedules.
- To test the hypothesis that behavioral contrast involves short-duration responses.
- To examine the sensitivity of key-peck response duration to differential reinforcement.
Main Methods:
- Pigeons were exposed to multiple schedules with variable-interval components.
- One component was switched to extinction to induce behavioral contrast.
- Response durations were measured, and differential reinforcement for response duration was applied in a second experiment.
Main Results:
- Behavioral contrast was observed when one component shifted to extinction.
- The duration of key pecks in the unchanged component did not decrease.
- Two out of three pigeons learned to adjust key-peck duration based on component requirements.
Conclusions:
- The findings contradict theories positing that behavioral contrast solely involves short-duration responses.
- Response duration in pigeons is malleable and sensitive to differential reinforcement schedules.
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