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Within-session changes in responding when rate and duration of reinforcement vary
1Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington WA 99164-4820, USA.
Behavioural Processes
|June 5, 2014
Summary
Pigeon behavior on variable interval schedules showed that reinforcer duration affects response rates. Longer access to food (20-seconds) decreased responding more steeply at higher reinforcement rates, suggesting satiation contributes to behavioral changes.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral science
- Animal behavior
- Operant conditioning
Background:
- Within-session response rate changes are common in operant conditioning.
- Satiation is a potential factor influencing these changes.
- Reinforcer duration can impact the degree of satiation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of reinforcer duration on within-session response patterns in pigeons.
- To determine if satiation is necessary for within-session response rate changes.
- To examine the role of satiation at different reinforcement rates.
Main Methods:
- Three pigeons were trained on variable interval 60-second and variable interval 30-second schedules.
- The duration of access to mixed grain reinforcers was manipulated (2-seconds vs. 20-seconds).
- Within-session responding patterns were analyzed under different conditions.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in responding patterns was observed for the lower reinforcement rate schedule (VI-60s) with varying reinforcer durations.
- Steeper within-session decreases in responding occurred with longer reinforcer durations (20-seconds) on the higher reinforcement rate schedule (VI-30s).
Conclusions:
- Within-session changes in responding can occur without satiation.
- Satiation may contribute to within-session response rate changes, particularly at higher reinforcement frequencies.
- Reinforcer duration is a critical variable influencing behavioral patterns in operant conditioning.
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