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Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
Published on: October 3, 2020
Performance of humans in concurrent avoidance/positive-reinforcement schedules
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|July 1, 1982
Summary
Human behavior under concurrent schedules shows increased avoidance responding and decreased reinforcement responding as avoided losses increase. Performance aligns with Herrnstein
Area of Science:
- Behavioral psychology
- Operant conditioning
Background:
- Concurrent schedules of reinforcement are fundamental in understanding choice behavior.
- Avoidance and positive reinforcement components interact in complex ways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate human performance under concurrent schedules involving avoidance and positive reinforcement.
- To examine the influence of avoided losses on response allocation.
Main Methods:
- Three human subjects participated in a study using points exchangeable for money.
- Concurrent schedules included variable-interval avoidance and variable-interval positive reinforcement.
- Changeover delays were systematically manipulated (5.0 sec, 2.0 sec, none).
Main Results:
- Response rates in avoidance increased as avoided point-losses increased.
- Response rates in positive reinforcement decreased as avoided point-losses increased.
- Performance generally matched Herrnstein's equations for concurrent schedules, with variations in matching under different changeover delay conditions.
Conclusions:
- Avoidance of losses significantly influences response allocation in concurrent schedules.
- Changeover delay impacts the degree of matching between response rates and reinforcement rates.
- Findings support Herrnstein's quantitative analysis of behavior under concurrent schedules.
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