Observing of chain-schedule stimuli.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral psychology
• Animal behavior
• Operant conditioning

Background:

• Classical conditioning theories propose backward transmission of reinforcement in chained schedules.
• Assessing this in traditional schedules is difficult due to primary reinforcer influence.
• An observing response offers a method to measure conditioned reinforcement effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the backward transmission of conditioned reinforcement effects in a three-link chain variable-time (VT) schedule.
• To assess if extinction and prefeeding disrupt behavior in a manner consistent with backward reinforcement.
• To investigate the role of conditioned reinforcers in maintaining behavior within complex schedules.

Main Methods:

• Four pigeons were trained on a three-link chain VT food schedule.
• An observing response was used to measure conditioned-reinforcing effects of stimuli.
• Resistance-to-change tests (extinction and prefeeding) were employed.

Main Results:

• Observing responses were maintained by stimuli associated with the chain schedule.
• The middle-link stimulus produced the highest rate of observing, followed by the initial, then terminal links.
• Resistance-to-change tests did not support backward transmission; patterns were generally forward.

Conclusions:

• The results do not support a backward transmission of reinforcement effects in this chained schedule arrangement.
• The observed resistance-to-change patterns were predominantly forward, not backward.
• Backward reinforcement effects may not be a universal process across all chained schedule paradigms.