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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Some Parameters Of Behavioral Contrast And Allocation Of Interim Behavior In Rats, James Dougan, Frances Mcsweeney, Valeri Farmer Jan 1985

Some Parameters Of Behavioral Contrast And Allocation Of Interim Behavior In Rats, James Dougan, Frances Mcsweeney, Valeri Farmer

Scholarship

Two experiments examined the effects of baseline reinforcement rate and component duration on behavioral contrast and on re-allocation of interim behavior in rats. Positive behavioral contrast occurred during multiple variable-interval 10-second extinction (VI 10 EXT) after a multiple VI 10 VI 10 baseline condition, but not during multiple VI 60 EXT following multiple VI 60 VI 60 baseline. Component duration had no significant effect on contrast. These results differed from those found in studies of pigeons' key pecking. Contrast was accompanied by an increased rate of drinking in the changed component, but drinking in the constant component did not decrease. …


Variation In Herrnsein’S R0 As A Function Of Alternative Reinforcement Rate, James Dougan, Frances Mcsweeney Jan 1985

Variation In Herrnsein’S R0 As A Function Of Alternative Reinforcement Rate, James Dougan, Frances Mcsweeney

Scholarship

In a test of Herrnstein's (1970, 1974) equation for simple schedules, 15 pigeons pecked a key that produced food delivered according to variable-interval schedules. One group of birds was water deprived, and food-reinforced key pecking occurred in the presence of free water. Two other groups were not water deprived; water was present for one and absent for the other. As predicted by Herrnstein, the parameter ro was significantly higher in the water-deprived group than in the two nondeprived groups. Contrary to Herrnstein's interpretation of ro, the rate of drinking varied across schedules. Herrnstein's interpretation can be salvaged by considering ro …