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Related Concept Videos

Primary and Secondary Reinforcers01:23

Primary and Secondary Reinforcers

In psychology, reinforcement is a key concept in behavior modification. B.F. Skinner demonstrated this with his experiments involving rats in what is known as a Skinner box. The rats learned to press a lever to receive food, a primary reinforcer that fulfilled their innate need for nourishment.
Effective reinforcers for humans vary depending on the individual and the context. Primary reinforcers, such as food, water, sleep, shelter, and pleasure, have inherent value and satisfy basic biological...
Reinforcement Schedules01:24

Reinforcement Schedules

Positive reinforcement is a powerful method for teaching new behaviors to both animals and humans. B.F. Skinner demonstrated this with his experiments using rats in a Skinner box. When a rat pressed a lever, it received a food pellet. This immediate reward encouraged the rat to repeat the behavior. This method, where a reward follows every instance of the behavior, is known as continuous reinforcement. It is highly effective for establishing new behaviors quickly.
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Timing and Consequences on Behavior01:08

Timing and Consequences on Behavior

In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective. 
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

A Method for Evaluating the Reinforcing Properties of Ethanol in Rats without Water Deprivation, Saccharin Fading or Extended Access Training
07:50

A Method for Evaluating the Reinforcing Properties of Ethanol in Rats without Water Deprivation, Saccharin Fading or Extended Access Training

Published on: January 29, 2017

Within-session response rates when reinforcement rate is changed within each session.

F K McSweeney, J N Weatherly, S Swindell

    Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
    |September 1, 1995
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Behavioral economics research shows that rats

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    Area of Science:

    • Behavioral economics
    • Animal behavior
    • Operant conditioning

    Background:

    • Operant conditioning principles govern how reinforcement schedules influence behavior.
    • Understanding species-specific responses to changing reinforcement rates is crucial for behavioral economics.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate how rats and pigeons adjust their responding to variable reinforcement rates.
    • To assess the applicability of Herrnstein's hyperbolic equation across species.

    Main Methods:

    • Subjects (rats and pigeons) were exposed to variable-interval schedules of food reinforcement.
    • Reinforcement rates were systematically altered across experimental conditions.
    • Response rates were analyzed in relation to programmed reinforcement rates.

    Main Results:

    • Herrnstein's hyperbolic equation accurately described rat responding to changing reinforcement rates.
    • Pigeon responding was less accurately described by the equation.
    • Response sensitivity to reinforcement changes was consistent across session times for rats.

    Conclusions:

    • Herrnstein's model effectively predicts rat behavior under dynamic reinforcement schedules.
    • Species differences in experimental history or response rates may explain discrepancies in pigeon data.
    • Further research is needed to understand interspecies variations in behavioral economic principles.