Increasing and signaling background reinforcement: effect on the foreground response-reinforcer relation

Area of Science:

• Behavioral economics
• Operant conditioning
• Reinforcement theory

Background:

• Herrnstein's hyperbolic matching equation models response and reinforcement rates.
• The equation features parameters k (motor performance) and Re (reinforcer efficacy).
• Re is interpreted as reinforcer efficacy relative to background reinforcement sources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the interpretation of the Re parameter.
• To investigate how background reinforcement sources affect Re.
• To examine the impact of signaling background reinforcement on k and Re.

Main Methods:

• Experiment 1: Assessed Re using variable-interval schedules, adding/removing a concurrent schedule.
• Experiment 2: Examined effects of signaling background reinforcement on k and Re.
• Utilized within-session procedures to estimate Re from response-reinforcer relations.

Main Results:

• Adding a concurrent schedule increased Re by 107 reinforcers/hour, close to its value (91 reinforcers/hour).
• Signaling background reinforcement decreased Re but did not systematically affect k.
• Results supported the interpretation of Re as a measure of reinforcer strength against background sources.

Conclusions:

• The Re parameter in Herrnstein's equation quantifies reinforcer efficacy relative to background reinforcement.
• Modulating background reinforcement sources directly impacts the Re parameter.
• Findings validate the interpretation of Re in understanding reinforcement dynamics.