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Changeover delay and concurrent-schedule performance in domestic hens
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Changeover delays in variable-interval schedules significantly impact hen
Area of Science:
- Behavioral psychology
- Animal behavior studies
Background:
- Concurrent variable-interval schedules are used to study choice behavior.
- Changeover delays (CODs) are critical in understanding response allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze how changeover delays affect response allocation in domestic hens.
- To test the applicability of the generalized matching law to COD effects.
Main Methods:
- Six domestic hens were exposed to concurrent variable-interval schedules.
- Changeover delays ranged from 0 to 15 seconds.
- Response and time data were analyzed using the generalized matching law.
Main Results:
- Sensitivity parameters (a) were low at no COD but increased with longer delays.
- Within-COD responding was insensitive to reinforcement rate differences.
- Post-COD responding was more sensitive to reinforcement rates than total responding.
Conclusions:
- Changeover delays significantly alter response allocation strategies in hens.
- The generalized matching law effectively models the impact of CODs on behavior.
- A reinforcer-loss model accurately predicts responding, especially post-COD.
