Incentive magnitude, learning, and performance in animals.

Bh, Pubols

doi:10.1037/h0042065

Cited by 112 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…These results are consistant with • .... the findings of many investigators in animal learning as r eported by Pubols (1960).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

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The effect of monetary incentive in paired associate learning using an absolute method

Harley

1965

Psychon Sci

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The design, apparatus, and stimulus materials of an earlier experiment (Harley, 1965) was duplicated with two exceptions: (1) An absolute method was used in the place of a differential method, and (2) each S was tested to a criterion of 3 consecutive correct trials. The results indicated that the magnitude of incentive had no effect upon learning which was consistant with many animal learning studies swnmarized by Pubols (1960). Learning was found to be more closely related to learning time (trials x exposure time) than trials.

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“…These results are consistant with • .... the findings of many investigators in animal learning as r eported by Pubols (1960).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

“…The results indicated that the magnitude of incentive had no effect upon learning which was consistant with many animal learning studies swnmarized by Pubols (1960). Learning was found to be more closely related to learning time (trials x exposure time) than trials.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 67%

The effect of monetary incentive in paired associate learning using an absolute method

Harley

1965

Psychon Sci

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“…The data are reported in 50 trial blocks as each experimental block of 100 trials represented 50 1 cent-risk trials and 50 10 cent-risk trials. The finding of major interest is that P(A 1 ) is significantly greater for 10 cent than for 1 cent risk (F= 5.89; df 1/22; p< .025) contrary to human choice studies employing the absolute method of presenting risks (Myers et aI, 1963;Edward & Tannenbaum, 1961) but in agreement with Pubols' (1960) conclusion that differential incentive presentation does yield an incentive effect on animal behavior. The differences among the risk curves do not change significantly as a function of trials (F = 2.38; df 4/88), although P(A 1 ) does in-crease over trials (F= 15.58; df 4/88; p< .001).…”

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confidence: 32%

Effects of risk as a within-subject variable in probability learning

et al. 1965

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Levels of risk were varied within Ss in a two-choice probability learning experiment. Contrary to the results of studies where risk was varied between Ss, the probability of predicting the more frequent event, P(All. was significantly greater at high than at low risk. A second finding was that P(A l ) was significantly higher for male than for female Ss, regardless of risk level. ProblemIn a recent reviewofthe literature on animal learning, Pubols (1960) concluded that variation in incentive magnitude has no significant effect on time-independent measures of learning when an absolute method is used (i. e., each S receives only a single incentive level), but that incentive effects are obtained when a differential method is employed (i. e., each S experiences more than one incentive level). Experiments involving the effects of risk on human choice behavior have yielded results which are consistent with Pubols' conclusions regarding the absolute method. For example, Myers et al (1963) reported that the probability of choosing the more frequent of two events was not significantly greater for a 10 cent-than for a 1 cent-risk group. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the differential method of incentive presentation would affect human choice behavior. More specifically, on each trial Ss were first informed which of two amounts was to be risked, and then required to predict which of two events would occur. MethodIn the first of two experiments, six male and six female Ss, undergraduate volunteers from the University of Massachusetts, were required to predict which of two events would occur on each of 500 trials. The two events were low-associative nonsense syllables with probabilities of occurrence of .6 (E l ) and .4 (E 2 ). On half the trials, S was informed he would gain 10 cents for a correct event prediction, or lose 10 cents for an incorrect one. On the remaining trials, the level of risk was 1 cent. The sequence of risks was random with the restriction that half the E1 trials, and half the E2 trials were 10 cent risk and the remainder were 1 cent risk. The events were recorded on a 100-card deck which was shuffled before each trial block. Each S was given an initial stake oUl.OO in chips. He was told there was no pattern in the event sequence, and that he would receive all money won during the experimental session. The S kept track of his wins and losses by taking or

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“…Hull (1951) assumed that varying drive level and amount of reinforcement should affect performance and not learning. Experiments on amount of reinforcement in instrumental appetitive conditioning have generally supported this assumption (Pubols, 1960). The results concerning the effect of varying drive level in instrumental ~p~etitive cond~tioning are more equivocal but many studies mdlcate that dnve level is also primarily a performance variable (Kimble, 1961, pp.…”

Section: A Factorial Design Was Used To Determine the Effects Of Ucs mentioning

confidence: 97%

The effect of UCS intensity on learning and performance in instrumental aversive conditioning

Marsh

Walz

1968

Psychon Sci

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A factorial design was used to determine the effects of UCS intensity on learning and performance in escape conditioning. The results indicated that UCS intensity primarily affected performance rather than learning. This outcome is in accord with the results obtained in instrumental appetitive conditioning and differs from the results obtained in classical aversive conditioning.The purpose of the present experiment is to determine the effect of varying UCS intensity on learning and performance in an escape situation. A number of experiments have shown that increasing UCS intensity increases performance level in an escape conditioning (Campbell & Kraeling, 1953;Stavely, 1966;Trapold & Fowler, 1960). These experiments were equivocal as to whether UCS intensity affected either learning or performance.Increasing the intensity of an aversive UCS is assumed to increase both drive and amount of reinforcement. Hull (1951) assumed that varying drive level and amount of reinforcement should affect performance and not learning. Experiments on amount of reinforcement in instrumental appetitive conditioning have generally supported this assumption (Pubols, 1960). The results concerning the effect of varying drive level in instrumental ~p~etitive cond~tioning are more equivocal but many studies mdlcate that dnve level is also primarily a performance variable (Kimble, 1961, pp. 411-416).In contrast to the results obtained in instrumental appetitive conditioning Spence (1953) and Trapold & Spence (1960) found that UCS intensity did affect leaming in a classical aversive situatjQn (eyelid conditioning).The evidence with regard to amount of reinforcement (i.e., decrease in UCS intensity) in escape conditioning is conflicting. An experiment by Bower, Fowler, & Trapold (1959) indicated that amount of reinforcement is a performance variable rather than a learning variable. A recent experiment by Woods (1967) however indicated that magnitude of reinforcement did affect learning as well as performance.Subjects. The Ss were 24 male rats of the Long-Evans strain approximately 150-180 days old at the beginning of the experiment, obtained from Huntington Farms in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania .. Apparatus. The apparatus was similar to that described by Trapold & Fowler, (1960). It was a straight alley 66 in. long, 3 in. wide, and 4 in. high. The side and floor of the start box and alley were covered with aluminum. There was a I in. gap between the two strips of metal on the floor. The alley was separated into three sections, a start box 8 in. long, an alley section 48 in. long, and a goal box 10 in. long. These sections were separated by guillotine doors and the alley was covered with clear Plexiglas. Raising the start door operated a microswitch which turned on the shock. Breaking a photocell beam 6 in. inside the alley started a Standard Electric clock which was stopped when the S broke a photobeam 2 in. inside the goal box. The running time was recorded to the nearest .01 sec and converted to speed (Ioo/time). A matched impedance dc shoc...

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Incentive magnitude, learning, and performance in animals.

Cited by 112 publications

References 45 publications

The effect of monetary incentive in paired associate learning using an absolute method

The effect of monetary incentive in paired associate learning using an absolute method

Effects of risk as a within-subject variable in probability learning

The effect of UCS intensity on learning and performance in instrumental aversive conditioning

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