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Human sensitivity to reinforcement feedback functions.

Phil Reed1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales. p.reed@swansea.ac.uk

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|November 2, 2007
PubMed
Summary
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Human participants demonstrated sensitivity to the timing of reinforcement schedules, particularly with variable interval (VI) and VI-plus-linear-feedback (VI+) schedules. Findings suggest humans can perceive extended temporal reinforcement aspects.

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Psychology
  • Operant Conditioning
  • Human Reinforcement Sensitivity

Background:

  • Understanding human operant behavior requires examining sensitivity to reinforcement schedule properties.
  • Temporal aspects of reinforcement schedules, beyond immediate consequences, are crucial for complex behavior.
  • Previous research has not fully elucidated human perception of extended temporal reinforcement.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate human sensitivity to temporally extended versus local aspects of reinforcement schedules.
  • To compare sensitivity across variable ratio (VR), variable interval (VI), and a novel VI-plus-linear-feedback (VI+) schedule.
  • To analyze the influence of response force on schedule sensitivity.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted using different reinforcement schedules (VR, VI, VI+).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Participants' response rates were recorded under various schedule conditions.
  • Response force required to operate the lever was manipulated in one experiment.

    • Main Results:

    • Evidence suggests human sensitivity to temporally extended schedule aspects.
    • Significant differences in response rates were observed between VI+ and yoked-VI schedules.
    • Sensitivity to VI+ versus VI schedules was amplified with lower response force requirements.

    Conclusions:

    • Human subjects exhibit sensitivity to the temporally extended features of reinforcement schedules.
    • The VI+ schedule effectively highlights temporal discrimination compared to standard VI schedules.
    • Response force is a modulating factor in perceiving temporal reinforcement contingencies.