Sequential effects in fixed-ratio postreinf orcement pause duration

Mintz, Donald E.; Mourer, Dennis J.; Gofseyeff, Miriam

doi:10.3758/bf03330859

Cited by 24 publications

(29 citation statements)

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(7 reference statements)

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“…A number of other studies (Kaplan, 1956;Premack, Schaeffer, and Hundt, 1964; Thompson, 1964;Winograd, 1965;Mintz, Mourer, and Gofseyeff, 1967;Felton and Lyon, 1966) …”

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THE EFFECT OF SMALL SEQUENTIAL CHANGES IN FIXED‐RATIO SIZE UPON THE POST‐REINFORCEMENT PAUSE¹

Powell

1968

J Exper Analysis Behavior

134

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Duration of the post-reinforcement pause was measured for three pigeons on fixed-ratio schedules of reinforcement ranging from 10 to 160. Small sequential changes were made in the ratio values without disrupting stable performance. The post-reinforcement pause increased consistently for all birds within three sessions as the ratio requirement increased. A frequency analysis of the individual pauses at selected fixed ratios revealed an increase in dispersion for all animals as the ratio size increased. Response rate tended to decrease for two of the birds and remained relatively stable for the third; but there were many reversals in these data.The data of Ferster and Skinner (1957) suggest that the post-reinforcement pause increases as the size of the fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement (FR) is increased. A number of other studies (Kaplan, 1956;Premack, Schaeffer, and Hundt, 1964; Thompson, 1964;Winograd, 1965;Mintz, Mourer, and Gofseyeff, 1967;Felton and Lyon, 1966) METHOD SubjectsThree White Carneaux pigeons were maintained within 10 g of 80% of their free-feeding weight. One (P42) was experimentally naive, the other two (P33, P44) had previous FR training. Water and grit were available at all times in the home cages. ApparatusA Lehigh Valley pigeon test chamber Model 1519C was employed. A grain mixture of 50% kafir, 40% vetch, and 10% hemp was used for reinforcement. A reinforcement time, which ranged from 2 to 3 sec, was empirically determined for each subject so that the animal's weight was maintained within the prescribed limits. During reinforcement the white key light was turned off.The fixed-ratio reinforcement schedule was programmed by a Grason-Stadler ratio counter. The elapsed time from the end of the reinforcement period to the first response in the ratio run, i.e., the post-reinforcement pause, was measured in fourths of a second. This was done by recording the pulses (4 pps) from a Foringer electronic timer which were initiated by the end of the grain hopper cycle and terminated by the animal's first response. These pulses were recorded cumulatively over each daily session on a digital counter; the 89 1968, 11,[589][590][591][592][593] NUMBER 5 (SEPTEMBER)

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“…A number of other studies (Kaplan, 1956;Premack, Schaeffer, and Hundt, 1964; Thompson, 1964;Winograd, 1965;Mintz, Mourer, and Gofseyeff, 1967;Felton and Lyon, 1966) …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

THE EFFECT OF SMALL SEQUENTIAL CHANGES IN FIXED‐RATIO SIZE UPON THE POST‐REINFORCEMENT PAUSE¹

Powell

1968

J Exper Analysis Behavior

134

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“…The present data also add more evidence that when FR length is reliably cued, the primary determinant of pause duration is the forthcoming ratio (Mintz, Mourer, & Gofseyeff, 1967;Griffith & Thompson, 1972). The interaction with the condition preceding the pause is less clear.…”

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confidence: 50%

The effects of time-out locus during fixed-ratio reinforcement

Barowsky

Mintz

1975

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

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Pigeon's keypecking was reinforced on a multiple fixed-ratio schedule. All three components were fixed ratio 60; a 10-sec time-out regularly appeared after the tenth response in one component and after the fiftieth response in another. Pause duration was shortest with no time-out, longest with the time-out late in the ratio. In time-out components, response rate was low preceding the timeout, high immediately following it. The total time from rsponse initiation to subsequent reinforcement was highly predictive of pause duration. Immediate repetition of a component generally produces shorter pausing than when it was preceded by a different component.A time-out (TO) is a signaled period of time associated with extinction (Ferster & Skinner, 1957) during which reinforcement is unattainable (Leitenberg, 1965). It is generally signaled by a change in some exteroceptive stimulus within the operant chamber.The present study involves the systematic introduction of TO during fixed-ratio (FR) performance. The FR, which prOvides reinforcement following a fixed number of responses, typically generates a period of pause followed by a rapid sequence of responses termin::tting with reinforcement. A major determinant of the pause duration is the length of the ratio itself. Some research (Neuringer & Schneider, 1968) suggests that the time devoted to the sequence of responses to complete the ratio affects pause duration.The i'1tent of the present analysis is twofold. For one, we are concerned with pause duration as it is affected by the time involved in obtaining reinforcement. Our procedures included a mUltiple schedule of reinforcement in which an FR 60 was always employed. The three distinctively cued components included two with 10-sec TOs regularly provided at different loci in the response sequence. Our second concern was an examination of the influence of the TO and its position, in the sequence of responses, on local variations in response rate. METHOD SubjectsThree male white Carneaux pigeons, between 2 and 3 years old, were maintained at 80% of their free-feeding weights. All birds were experimentally naive at the start of the experiment. ApparatusA standard Lehigh Valley Electronics two-key operant chamber for pigeons was used. Only the key to the left of the food hopper was operative for purposes of this study. Temporal data were recorded on Pressin printing counters, mounted in Scientific Prototype control housings and pulsed at 10 Hz by a Scientific Prototype reed clock_ The test chamber was housed in a sound-attenuating enclosure, and white noise was provided for further masking. Closure of the response key required a force of approximately .2 N_ ProcedureThe three pigeons were shaped to peck the left key of the operant chamber, transilluminated white. Subsequent training involved systematic increases in the responses required for reinforcement until responding on FR 60 in the presence of the white key stablized. The birds then received 2 days of training with key light either red, green or white, changing after e...

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“…A major determinant of pausing appears to be the magnitude of the behavior requirement for subsequent· reinforcement. The importance of forthcoming ratio length in determining pause duration has been noted by Griffiths and Thompson (1972) and Mintz et al (1967), among others. The preresponse pause (PRP) is presumably determined by stimuli present when the opportunity to respond is provided.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Effects in postreinforcement pausing on fixed-ratio (FR) schedules related to the sequence of schedule presentation have been demonstrated by Mintz, Mourer, and Gofseyeff (1967). In the multiple FR schedules they employed (FRs of different length, each distinctively cued), the pause duration related primarily to the length of the forthcoming FR.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Nevin and Shettleworth (1966), Pliskoff (1961Pliskoff ( , 1963, Staddon (I 969), and Wilton and Gay (1969) have all produced evidence that the pattern or sequence of schedules contributes to interactive effects. Enhanced effects or schedule interaction have been shown at the point of schedule change (Azrin, 1960) or interface of stimuli related to differenl schedules (Catania & Gill, 1964).Effects in postreinforcement pausing on fixed-ratio (FR) schedules related to the sequence of schedule presentation have been demonstrated by Mintz, Mourer, and Gofseyeff (1967). In the multiple FR schedules they employed (FRs of different length, each distinctively cued), the pause duration related primarily to the length of the forthcoming FR.…”

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Pausing in multiple fixed- ratio schedules

Mintz

1976

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

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Pigeons were maintained on multiple fixed-ratio schedules with food reinforcement for a keypeck response. A regular pattern of short-short-Iong-Iong-etc. was employed for the fixed-ratio sequence within a session. Pausing following reinforcement was shown to be determined by the length of the forthcoming fixed ratio. the relation of this fixed-ratio length to the schedule paired with it. and the place of the fixed ratio in the patterned sequence. The sequential effect indicated shorter pauses for a given fixed ratio when its completion would be followed by the shorter fixed ratio. and longer pausing at the point of transition from a shorter to a longer fixed ratio.The performance generated by a particular schedule of reinforcement can be influenced by other schedules in the total test situation. These schedule interactions (Reynolds, 1961a, b) indicate that relations among conditions of reinforcement are important in determining the performance generated by each individual schedule in the set of procedures employed. Nevin and Shettleworth (1966), Pliskoff (1961Pliskoff ( , 1963, Staddon (I 969), and Wilton and Gay (1969) have all produced evidence that the pattern or sequence of schedules contributes to interactive effects. Enhanced effects or schedule interaction have been shown at the point of schedule change (Azrin, 1960) or interface of stimuli related to differenl schedules (Catania & Gill, 1964).Effects in postreinforcement pausing on fixed-ratio (FR) schedules related to the sequence of schedule presentation have been demonstrated by Mintz, Mourer, and Gofseyeff (1967). In the multiple FR schedules they employed (FRs of different length, each distinctively cued), the pause duration related primarily to the length of the forthcoming FR. Interaction manifested itself in differences between pausing following changes to, as opposed to repetitions of, a given FR. The present study extends this earlier investigation to quantitative manipulation of FR length. The analysis is aimed both at a clearer formulation of the determinants of FR pausing and a further examination of how the specific context contributes to schedule interaction. METHOD SubjectsTwo mature male white Carneaux pigeons were used as subjects. Both were maintained at 80% of their free-feeding weights. Both were experimentally naive prior to the study. Water was continuously available both in the home cage and the test environment. A standard grain mixture of 50% kaffir, 40% vetch, and 10% hemp was used for reinforcement.This research was supported in part by a grant from The City University of New York Faculty Research Program. Requests for reprints should be sent to Donald E. Mintz, Department of Psychology, City College of New York, New York 10031. ApparatusA Lehigh Valley two-key operant chamber for pigeons (Model 1519-2) was used, with only the right-hand key in operation. A force of approximately .15 N was required to operate the key. White noise was provided to mask apparatus sounds. The measurement of time intervals reported was accompli...

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Sequential effects in fixed-ratio postreinf orcement pause duration

Cited by 24 publications

References 7 publications

THE EFFECT OF SMALL SEQUENTIAL CHANGES IN FIXED‐RATIO SIZE UPON THE POST‐REINFORCEMENT PAUSE¹

THE EFFECT OF SMALL SEQUENTIAL CHANGES IN FIXED‐RATIO SIZE UPON THE POST‐REINFORCEMENT PAUSE¹

The effects of time-out locus during fixed-ratio reinforcement

Pausing in multiple fixed- ratio schedules

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Sequential effects in fixed-ratio postreinf orcement pause duration

Cited by 24 publications

References 7 publications

THE EFFECT OF SMALL SEQUENTIAL CHANGES IN FIXED‐RATIO SIZE UPON THE POST‐REINFORCEMENT PAUSE1

THE EFFECT OF SMALL SEQUENTIAL CHANGES IN FIXED‐RATIO SIZE UPON THE POST‐REINFORCEMENT PAUSE1

The effects of time-out locus during fixed-ratio reinforcement

Pausing in multiple fixed- ratio schedules

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THE EFFECT OF SMALL SEQUENTIAL CHANGES IN FIXED‐RATIO SIZE UPON THE POST‐REINFORCEMENT PAUSE¹

THE EFFECT OF SMALL SEQUENTIAL CHANGES IN FIXED‐RATIO SIZE UPON THE POST‐REINFORCEMENT PAUSE¹