Divided stimulus control depends on differential and nondifferential reinforcement: Testing a quantitative model

Area of Science:

• Behavioral psychology
• Animal cognition
• Stimulus control

Background:

• Understanding how animals process complex stimuli is crucial for behavioral science.
• Previous models of stimulus control did not fully account for error reinforcement or signaled dimensions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of differential and nondifferential reinforcers on divided stimulus control.
• To test the applicability of Davison and Nevin's (1999) quantitative model under varied reinforcement conditions.

Main Methods:

• Six pigeons were trained using a delayed matching-to-sample procedure.
• Stimuli varied in color and alternation rate; pigeons reported either color or rate.
• Reinforcer probabilities for correct and incorrect responses were manipulated across conditions.

Main Results:

• Reinforcer ratios for correct and incorrect responses influenced choice behavior.
• Increased error reinforcement for a specific dimension decreased control by that dimension.
• Davison and Nevin's model fit data best when the reporting dimension was unsignaled.

Conclusions:

• Reinforcer ratios significantly impact divided stimulus control, potentially overriding dimensional control.
• The quantitative model's fit decreased when the reporting dimension was signaled, suggesting complex interactions.
• Further research is needed to validate the model's generality and explore joint control by stimuli and reinforcers.