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Published on: May 14, 2014
Control of behavior by an establishing stimulus
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|March 1, 1988
Summary
Pigeons
Area of Science:
- Behavioral science
- Animal behavior
- Operant conditioning
Background:
- Establishing stimuli are crucial for learning.
- Understanding how establishing stimuli influence behavior is key to behavioral science.
- Pigeons are often used in studies of associative learning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of an establishing stimulus in controlling behavior.
- To determine how the strength of a conditioned reinforcer affects the control exerted by an establishing stimulus.
- To examine the influence of the frequency and signal of changes in conditioned reinforcer strength.
Main Methods:
- A three-key discrete-trial procedure was used with 17 pigeons.
- The center key peck produced food only when the left keylight was lit.
- The strength of the center keylight as a conditioned reinforcer was manipulated.
Main Results:
- Pigeons' key pecks were controlled by the left keylight onset.
- Control was greater when the center keylight was a weaker conditioned reinforcer.
- Control was less when the center keylight was a stronger conditioned reinforcer.
- Differences in control were most pronounced when changes in reinforcer strength were frequent and signaled.
Conclusions:
- The onset of the left keylight acted as an establishing stimulus.
- The strength of the conditioned reinforcer modulated the effectiveness of the establishing stimulus.
- These findings support the functional role of establishing stimuli in behavior control.
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