Year: 1969
Type: article
Abstract: Pigeons were exposed to four cycles per session of a multiple schedule in which each cycle involved twelve 60-sec fixed intervals followed by four 180-sec intervals [(12 FI 60-sec)(4 FI 180-sec) schedule]. Post-reinforcement pauses were shorter during the first few short intervals of each cycle than during later short intervals, and increased over the four long intervals of each cycle (positive and negative transient contrast). A (12 FI 15-sec)(4 FI 45-sec) schedule showed similar results. These two schedules differed in some other respects indicating effects of absolute FI duration on stimulus control. Differences in contrast properties between both these procedures and multiple variable-interval schedules were related to the pause-producing property of reinforcement on FI (temporal inhibition). Behavior under two other multiple fixed-interval schedules-(2 FI 360-sec)(1 FI 720-sec) and (3 FI 360-sec)(1 FI 720-sec)-differed in certain respects from both the (12 FI x-sec)(4 FI 3x-sec) schedules. These differences may be related to differences in the number of successive fixed intervals within a component (run length).
Author: J. E. R. Staddon
Institution: Duke University
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2049643989