Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Local contrast in behavior allocation during multiple-schedule components.

A P McLean

    Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
    |July 1, 1991
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Resistance to change as a function of concurrent reinforcer magnitude.

    Behavioural processes·2014
    Same author

    Variable-ratio versus variable-interval schedules: response rate, resistance to change, and preference.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2001
    Same author

    Sensitivity to relative reinforcer rate in concurrent schedules: independence from relative and absolute reinforcer duration.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2001
    Same author

    An outbreak of Serratia marcescens infections related to contaminated chlorhexidine.

    Infection control and hospital epidemiology·1998
    Same author

    Stomal ulcer after gastric bypass.

    Journal of the American College of Surgeons·1997
    Same author

    Control of construction-associated nosocomial aspergillosis in an antiquated hematology unit.

    Infection control and hospital epidemiology·1996
    Same journal

    The Genoeconomics of Impulsive Intertemporal Choice: A Critical Review.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    Shaping the extinction burst: Increasing its probability and preventing its emergence across topographies.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    Evaluating the combined effects of effort and probability on monetary discounting.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    An improved translational approach to studying persistence-strengthening effects of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    Interactions between the effects of food and water motivating operations on concurrent food- and water-reinforced responding in mice.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    Odor-visual and visual-visual matching to sample with dogs.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    See all related articles

    Behavioral allocation between two keys was studied. Local contrast effects were observed, but not fully explained by reinforcer reallocation. An extended matching law better describes these behavioral changes.

    Area of Science:

    • Behavioral psychology
    • Animal behavior studies
    • Operant conditioning

    Background:

    • Understanding response allocation is crucial for behavioral psychology.
    • The matching law for concurrent operants is a key model, but its limitations in explaining certain contrast effects are noted.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate response allocation between two keys under alternating multiple-schedule components.
    • To examine local contrast effects and their relationship to reinforcer ratios.
    • To propose an extension of the matching law to better account for observed behavior.

    Main Methods:

    • Responses were recorded in successive quarters of two alternating multiple-schedule components.
    • Variable-interval reinforcer schedules were used, with constant schedules on one key and varied schedules on the other.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Changes in reinforcer ratios were manipulated in the varied component.

    • Main Results:

    • Behavioral allocation in the initial phase of the constant component showed an inverse relationship with varied-component reinforcer ratios (local contrast).
    • This local contrast was not sustained later in the component.
    • Slopes of matching lines were high early in the varied component, decreasing over time.

    Conclusions:

    • Local contrast effects observed cannot be solely explained by reinforcer reallocation between components.
    • The standard matching law for concurrent operants does not fully capture all factors controlling behavior allocation.
    • A proposed extension to the matching law adequately describes behavioral changes and can predict contrast effects in absolute response rates.