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Related Experiment Videos

Choice, changeover, and travel: A quantitative model.

M Davison

    Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
    |January 1, 1991
    PubMed
    Summary

    Pigeons trained on concurrent schedules showed increased sensitivity to reinforcement when changeover requirements increased. Performance favored schedules with shorter entry times, supporting a punishment model of travel.

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    Area of Science:

    • Behavioral psychology
    • Animal behavior studies
    • Operant conditioning

    Background:

    • Concurrent schedules of reinforcement are fundamental in understanding choice behavior.
    • Changeover delays (CODs) influence response allocation between concurrent schedules.
    • Previous models have described changeover performance but may not fully capture sensitivity to reinforcers.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate how changeover fixed-interval schedules affect pigeons' sensitivity to reinforcement allocation.
    • To examine the impact of varying changeover schedule durations on choice behavior.
    • To test a subtractive punishment model of travel in the context of concurrent schedules.

    Main Methods:

    • Six pigeons were trained on concurrent variable-interval schedules with fixed-interval changeover requirements.
    • Changeover fixed-interval schedules were manipulated (0s, 10s, 20s) and varied in relative proportion.
    • Behavioral allocation and response times were recorded under different reinforcement frequencies and changeover conditions.

    Main Results:

    • Increasing changeover requirements from 0s to 10s enhanced sensitivity to reinforcers; further increases to 20s yielded no additional gains.
    • In conditions with unequal changeover schedules, pigeons biased their choices towards schedules with shorter entry times.
    • Results align with a subtractive punishment model where lost reinforcers influence choice.

    Conclusions:

    • Changeover delays significantly modulate sensitivity to reinforcement in concurrent schedules.
    • A subtractive punishment model provides a viable framework for understanding travel costs in choice behavior.
    • Existing models accurately predict absolute times spent on schedules, but reinforcement sensitivity requires further exploration.

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