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Do conditional reinforcers count?

Michael Davison1, William M Baum

  • 1University of Auckland. m.davison@auckland.ac.nz

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|December 29, 2006
PubMed
Summary
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Pigeons showed preference shifts based on signaled food deliveries. Events signaling food consequences, not just food itself, influenced their choices, suggesting a broader interpretation of the Law of Effect.

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Psychology
  • Animal Cognition
  • Operant Conditioning

Background:

  • The Law of Effect posits that behaviors followed by satisfying consequences become more likely.
  • Previous research primarily focused on the reinforcing properties of primary reinforcers like food.
  • The role of secondary signals associated with reinforcement requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine how pigeons' preferences are affected by signaled food deliveries.
  • To investigate the influence of magazine light and keylight presentations correlated with food ratios.
  • To determine if events signaling consequences, rather than just the consequences themselves, shape behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Six pigeons were trained on concurrent variable-interval schedules with varying food-delivery ratios.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Experiment 1 manipulated the proportion of food deliveries accompanied by a magazine light.
  • Experiment 2 explored correlations between food ratios and magazine light/keylight ratios.

    • Main Results:

    • Pigeons exhibited preference pulses toward alternatives that signaled upcoming food, whether with food or just a magazine light.
    • Preference pulses after food deliveries were stronger than those after magazine lights alone.
    • The correlation between signaled events (magazine light, keylight) and food ratios determined the direction and magnitude of preference pulses.

    Conclusions:

    • The Law of Effect may extend to include the reinforcing properties of events that reliably signal primary reinforcers.
    • Signal value is crucial; events correlated with food consequences significantly influence choice behavior.
    • Behavioral control is exerted not only by direct reinforcement but also by predictive cues.