Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior logoLink to Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
. 1992 Mar;57(2):187–199. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1992.57-187

Fixed-interval performance and self-control in children.

J C Darcheville 1, V Rivière 1, J H Wearden 1
PMCID: PMC1323121  PMID: 1573372

Abstract

Operant responses of 16 children (mean age 6 years and 1 month) were reinforced according to different fixed-interval schedules (with interreinforcer intervals of 20, 30, or 40 s) in which the reinforcers were either 20-s or 40-s presentations of a cartoon. In another procedure, they received training on a self-control paradigm in which both reinforcer delay (0.5 s or 40 s) and reinforcer duration (20 s or 40 s of cartoons) varied, and subjects were offered a choice between various combinations of delay and duration. Individual differences in behavior under the self-control procedure were precisely mirrored by individual differences under the fixed-interval schedule. Children who chose the smaller immediate reinforcer on the self-control procedure (impulsive) produced short postreinforcement pauses and high response rates in the fixed-interval conditions, and both measures changed little with changes in fixed-interval value. Conversely, children who chose the larger delayed reinforcer in the self-control condition (the self-controlled subjects) exhibited lower response rates and long postreinforcement pauses, which changed systematically with changes in the interval, in their fixed-interval performances.

Full text

PDF
187

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baron A., Kaufman A., Stauber K. A. Effects of instructions and reinforcement-feedback on human operant behavior maintained by fixed-interval reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Sep;12(5):701–712. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1969.12-701. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bentall R. P., Lowe C. F., Beasty A. The role of verbal behavior in human learning: II. Developmental differences. J Exp Anal Behav. 1985 Mar;43(2):165–181. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1985.43-165. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Buskist W. F., Bennett R. H., Miller H. L. Effects of instructional constraints on human fixed-interval performance. J Exp Anal Behav. 1981 Mar;35(2):217–225. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1981.35-217. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Harzem P. Experimental analysis of individual differences and personality. J Exp Anal Behav. 1984 Nov;42(3):385–395. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1984.42-385. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Logue A. W., Peña-Correal T. E., Rodriguez M. L., Kabela E. Self-control in adult humans: variation in positive reinforcer amount and delay. J Exp Anal Behav. 1986 Sep;46(2):159–173. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1986.46-159. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Lowe C. F., Beasty A., Bentall R. P. The role of verbal behavior in human learning: infant performance on fixed-interval schedules. J Exp Anal Behav. 1983 Jan;39(1):157–164. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1983.39-157. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lowe C. F., Harzem P., Bagshaw M. Species differences in temporal control of behavior II: human performance. J Exp Anal Behav. 1978 May;29(3):351–361. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1978.29-351. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Rachlin H., Castrogiovanni A., Cross D. Probability and delay in commitment. J Exp Anal Behav. 1987 Nov;48(3):347–353. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1987.48-347. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Schweitzer J. B., Sulzer-Azaroff B. Self-control: teaching tolerance for delay in impulsive children. J Exp Anal Behav. 1988 Sep;50(2):173–186. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1988.50-173. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Sonuga-Barke E. J., Lea S. E., Webley P. Children's choice: Sensitivity to changes in reinforcer density. J Exp Anal Behav. 1989 Mar;51(2):185–197. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1989.51-185. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Sonuga-Barke E. J., Lea S. E., Webley P. The development of adaptive choice in a self-control paradigm. J Exp Anal Behav. 1989 Jan;51(1):77–85. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1989.51-77. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. WEINER H. CONDITIONING HISTORY AND HUMAN FIXED-INTERVAL PERFORMANCE. J Exp Anal Behav. 1964 Sep;7:383–385. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1964.7-383. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. WEINER H. Some effects of response cost upon human operant behavior. J Exp Anal Behav. 1962 Apr;5:201–208. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1962.5-201. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Weiner H. Controlling human fixed-interval performance. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 May;12(3):349–373. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1969.12-349. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior are provided here courtesy of Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

RESOURCES