Long-term retention of a complex operant in pigeons.

Schwartz, Barry; Reilly, Martha

doi:10.1037/0097-7403.11.3.337

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 31 publications

(61 reference statements)

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“…-interrupting the training sessions for 60 days does not influence the performance or the variability of the sequences when the pigeons are replaced in the training situation (Schwartz and Reilly, 1985).…”

Section: Data From Other Experiments Support This Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioral Variability, Learning Processes, and Creativity

Richelle¹,

Boulanger²,

Ingebos³

et al. 1992

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Section: Data From Other Experiments Support This Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioral Variability, Learning Processes, and Creativity

Richelle¹,

Boulanger²,

Ingebos³

et al. 1992

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“…The data indicate that pigeons can learn to bridge within-sequence delays, and suggest that response sequences are organized into "phrases." Schwartz (1980Schwartz ( , 1981aSchwartz ( , 1981bSchwartz ( , 1982aSchwartz ( , 1982bSchwartz & Reilly, 1983, 1985 reported a series of experiments on the development and maintenance of a complex, sequential operant. These experiments reported procedures adapted from Vogel and Annau (1973).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Virtually all characteristics of sequence responding retained their integrity on these schedules; sequence accuracy, stereotypy, and response time were roughly uniform throughout the fixed interval or fixed ratio. The temporal response patterning that is typically observed on these schedules was restricted to the latency to initiate response sequences, a property of sequences that is analogous to interresponse time as a property of individual responses.In a third experiment (Schwartz & Reilly, 1985), longterm retention of sequence performance was investigated. So long as experience that involved keypecking did not intervene, 6O-day intervals between sequence training and retention testing had virtually no effect on sequence performance.…”

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confidence: 99%

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On the organization of stereotyped response sequences

Schwartz

1985

Animal Learning & Behavior

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When pigeons are required to peck each of two keys in any order for reinforcement, stereotyped response sequences develop that are resistant to disruption by extinction, schedules of reinforcement, or contingencies requiring sequence variability. To test the hypothesis that stereotyped response sequences become integrated behavioral units, two experiments introduced within-sequence temporal delays of varying duration. Experiment 1 found that when a delay followed each peck in a sequence, there was substantial disruption of sequence performance that was independent of delay duration. However, such disruption was only temporary. Experiment 2 found that when the location of a delay within a sequence was varied, sequence disruption was a function of when, in a sequence, the delay occurred. Delays that occurred within sequence subunits had large effects, whereas delays that occurred between such subunits had small effects. The data indicate that pigeons can learn to bridge within-sequence delays, and suggest that response sequences are organized into "phrases." Schwartz (1980Schwartz ( , 1981aSchwartz ( , 1981bSchwartz ( , 1982aSchwartz ( , 1982bSchwartz & Reilly, 1983, 1985 reported a series of experiments on the development and maintenance of a complex, sequential operant. These experiments reported procedures adapted from Vogel and Annau (1973). Pigeons were required to peck each of two response keys exactly four times, in any order. At the beginning of a trial, the top left light in a 5 X 5 matrix of lights was illuminated. Each peck on the left key moved the illuminated light across one position, and each peck on the right key moved it down one position. When the bottom right key was illuminated (four pecks on each key), reinforcement was delivered. A fifth peck on either key before a fourth on the other terminated the trial without reinforcement. Schwartz found, as had Vogel and Annau, that although 70 different successful sequences were possible, each pigeon developed one particular sequence that became dominant, sometimes occurring on more than 90% of all trials.Given that such stereotyped sequences develop, a question arises as to whether the sequences become integrated behavioral units. One property that such units might possess is a resistance to being broken down in the face of environmental challenges. Schwartz (1981b) explored this possibility by exposing pigeons to extinction. He found that in pigeons with extensive training on the sequence task, extinction had almost no effect on sequence stereotypy. More specifically, given that animals responded at all in extinction, they produced the same dominant sequenceas they had during reinforcement, with This research was supported by NSF Grant BNS 82-06670, and by a Swarthmore College Faculty Research Grant. Reprint requests should be addressed to the author, Department of Psychology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081. roughly the same relative frequency. In addition, the temporal properties of response sequences were not disrupted by extinction. E...

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“…However, schedule manipulation had no effect on within-sequence characteristics of responses like accuracy, stereotypy, or rate. These data constitute further evidence that response sequences can become functional behavioral units.Key words: multiple schedules, concurrent schedules, complex operants, stereotyped behavior, pigeons Schwartz (1980, 1981a, 1981b, 1982a, 1982bSchwartz & Reilly, 1983, 1985 has reported a series of experiments on the development and maintenance of a complex, sequential operant. These experiments have been based upon procedures adapted from Vogel and Annau (1973).…”

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confidence: 99%

Allocation of Complex, Sequential Operants on Multiple and Concurrent Schedules of Reinforcement

Schwartz

1986

J Exper Analysis Behavior

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Pigeons could produce food by pecking exactly four times on each of two keys, in any order. In the first experiment, these response sequences were reinforced on a series of multiple schedules of variableinterval reinforcement. In the second experiment, these response sequences were reinforced on a series of concurrent schedules of reinforcement. In both experiments, highly stereotyped response sequences developed. If these response sequences were treated as individual responses, the resulting data conformed to what is typically reported in studies of multiple and concurrent schedules involving individual responses. For example, behavioral contrast was observed with the multiple schedules, and matching was observed with the concurrent schedules. However, schedule manipulation had no effect on within-sequence characteristics of responses like accuracy, stereotypy, or rate. These data constitute further evidence that response sequences can become functional behavioral units.Key words: multiple schedules, concurrent schedules, complex operants, stereotyped behavior, pigeons Schwartz (1980, 1981a, 1981b, 1982a, 1982bSchwartz & Reilly, 1983, 1985 has reported a series of experiments on the development and maintenance of a complex, sequential operant. These experiments have been based upon procedures adapted from Vogel and Annau (1973). Pigeons could produce food by pecking each of two response keys exactly four times, in any order. At the beginning of a trial, the top, left light in a 5 by 5 matrix of lights was illuminated. Each left-key peck moved the illuminated light across one position, and each right-key peck moved it down one position. When the bottom, right light was illuminated (four pecks on each key), reinforcement was delivered. A fifth peck on either key before a fourth on the other terminated the sequence without reinforcement. Schwartz found, as had Vogel and Annau, that although many different successful sequences were possible, for each pigeon one particular sequence became dominant, sometimes occurring on more than 90% of all trials.Given that such stereotyped sequences develop, one might ask whether the sequences become integrated behavioral units. For example, such units might be resistant to disruption by environmental challenges. Schwartz (1981b) explored this possibility by exposing the sequences to extinction. He found that in pigeons with extensive training on the sequence task, extinction had almost no effect on sequence stereotypy. Given that the animals responded at all in extinction, they produced the same dominant sequence as they had during reinforcement, with roughly the same relative frequencies across sequences. In addition, the temporal properties of response sequences were not disrupted by extinction. Extinction certainly resulted in fewer responses per minute. However, when the temporal pattern of responding was analyzed into two components-latency (the time to begin a sequence from trial onset) and response time (the time to complete a sequence once it was begun)-it turned out tha...

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Long-term retention of a complex operant in pigeons.

Cited by 6 publications

References 31 publications

Behavioral Variability, Learning Processes, and Creativity

Behavioral Variability, Learning Processes, and Creativity

On the organization of stereotyped response sequences

Allocation of Complex, Sequential Operants on Multiple and Concurrent Schedules of Reinforcement

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