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Positive contrast as a function of component duration using a within-session procedure.

F K McSweeney1, C L Melville

  • 1Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4830, U.S.A.

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|June 5, 2014
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study on pigeon behavior found that shorter component durations led to larger positive contrast effects in key-pecking. This robust finding supports using within-session procedures to study behavioral contrast.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral psychology
  • Animal behavior research
  • Operant conditioning

Background:

  • Positive contrast is a phenomenon in operant conditioning where response rates increase when a previously available reinforcer is removed.
  • Understanding factors influencing positive contrast is crucial for behavioral analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine how changes in component duration affect positive contrast in pigeons pecking keys.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of a within-session procedure for studying behavioral contrast.

Main Methods:

  • Three experiments utilized a within-session procedure to measure response rates during baseline and contrast phases.
  • Pigeons were trained on multiple schedules of reinforcement, with component durations systematically varied.

Main Results:

  • Positive contrast effects were largest when component durations were shortest.
  • The inverse relationship between key-peck contrast and component duration was robust across procedural variations.
  • The within-session procedure provided preliminary support for studying contrast.

Conclusions:

  • The inverse relation between key-peck contrast and component duration is a reliable finding.
  • Within-session procedures are a viable method for investigating behavioral contrast.
  • The relationship between contrast size and component duration may differ between key-pecking and treadle-pressing behaviors.