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Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior logoLink to Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
. 1992 Jul;58(1):205–228. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1992.58-205

Continuous versus discrete dimensions of reinforcement schedules: An integrative analysis

Dean C Williams, James M Johnston
PMCID: PMC1322123  PMID: 16812664

Abstract

An approach to reinforcement-schedule contingencies is presented that accommodates continuous as well as discrete effective dimensions of responses and reinforcers. College students' wheel turning was reinforced by projected reading material according to four schedule contingencies that incorporated either a discontinuous (count) or continuous (duration) dimension of the response and the reinforcer. The contingencies arranged a 1:1 correspondence between (a) response count and consequent stimulus count, (b) response duration and stimulus count, (c) response count and stimulus duration, and (d) response duration and stimulus duration. Contingencies incorporating response count produced moderate to high rates of very short-duration responses. Contingencies incorporating response duration produced very low-rate, long-duration responding. The dimension of the reinforcer had minimal or no additional effect. We suggest that incorporating duration and other continuous dimensions into schedule contingencies may improve our understanding of both laboratory and nonlaboratory behavior.

Keywords: reinforcement schedules, extinction, continuous dimensions, response duration, reinforcer duration, wheel turning, college students

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Selected References

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