Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior logoLink to Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
. 1981 May;35(3):271–282. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1981.35-271

Contrast and undermatching as a function of reinforcer duration and quality during multiple schedules

R H Ettinger, Frances K McSweeney, Wayne D Norman
PMCID: PMC1333083  PMID: 16812216

Abstract

Eight pigeons pecked keys under multiple variable-interval two-minute variable-interval two-minute schedules. In Experiment 1, the reinforcers were 2, 4, or 8 seconds access to a food magazine. In Experiments 2 and 3, the reinforcers were grains that had been determined to be most-, moderately-, or non-preferred. Both positive and negative behavioral contrast occurred when the reinforcers in one component were held constant and the duration or type of reinforcer obtained in the other component varied. Undermatching occurred when the relative rate of responding during a component was plotted as a function of the relative duration of the reinforcers in that component.

Keywords: multiple schedule, variable-interval schedule, reinforcer duration, reinforcer quality, behavioral contrast, undermatching, key peck, pigeons

Full text

PDF
271

Selected References

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

  1. Balsam P. D., Brownstein A. J., Shull R. L. Effect of varying the duration of grain presentation on automaintenance. J Exp Anal Behav. 1978 Jan;29(1):27–36. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1978.29-27. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baum W. M. On two types of deviation from the matching law: bias and undermatching. J Exp Anal Behav. 1974 Jul;22(1):231–242. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1974.22-231. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baum W. M., Rachlin H. C. Choice as time allocation. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Nov;12(6):861–874. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1969.12-861. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Beninger R. J., Kendall S. B. Behavioral contrast in rats with different reinforcers and different response topographies. J Exp Anal Behav. 1975 Nov;24(3):267–280. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1975.24-267. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Catania A. C., Reynolds G. S. A quantitative analysis of the responding maintained by interval schedules of reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1968 May;11(3 Suppl):327–383. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1968.11-s327. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gonzalez R. C., Champlin G. Positive behavioral contrast negative simultaneous contrast and their relation to frustration in pigeons. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1974 Jul;87(1):173–187. doi: 10.1037/h0036575. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hamilton B. E., Silberberg A. Contrast and autoshaping in multiple schedules varying reinforcer rate and duration. J Exp Anal Behav. 1978 Jul;30(1):107–122. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1978.30-107. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Herrnstein R. J. On the law of effect. J Exp Anal Behav. 1970 Mar;13(2):243–266. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1970.13-243. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hursh S. R. Economic concepts for the analysis of behavior. J Exp Anal Behav. 1980 Sep;34(2):219–238. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1980.34-219. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jensen C., Fallon D. Behavioral aftereffects of reinforcement and its omission as a function of reinforcement magnitude. J Exp Anal Behav. 1973 May;19(3):459–468. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1973.19-459. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. McSweeney F. K. Negative behavioral contrast on multiple treadle-press schedules. J Exp Anal Behav. 1978 May;29(3):463–473. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1978.29-463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McSweeney F. K., Norman W. D. Defining behavioral contrast for multiple schedules. J Exp Anal Behav. 1979 Nov;32(3):457–461. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1979.32-457. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Merigan W. H., Miller J. S., Gollub L. R. Short-component multiple schedules: effects of relative reinforcement duration. J Exp Anal Behav. 1975 Sep;24(2):183–189. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1975.24-183. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Miller H. L. Matching-based hedonic scaling in the pigeon. J Exp Anal Behav. 1976 Nov;26(3):335–347. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1976.26-335. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. SHETTLEWORTH S., NEVIN J. A. RELATIVE RATE OF RESPONSE AND RELATIVE MAGNITUDE OF REINFORCEMENT IN MULTIPLE SCHEDULES. J Exp Anal Behav. 1965 Jul;8:199–202. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1965.8-199. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Schneider J. W. Reinforcer effectiveness as a function of reinforcer rate and magnitude: a comparison of concurrent performances. J Exp Anal Behav. 1973 Nov;20(3):461–471. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1973.20-461. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Schwartz B. Discriminative stimulus location as a determinant of positive and negative behavioral contrast in the pigeon. J Exp Anal Behav. 1975 Mar;23(2):167–176. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1975.23-167. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Shimp C. P., Wheatley K. L. Matching to relative reinforcement frequency in multiple schedules with a short component duration. J Exp Anal Behav. 1971 Mar;15(2):205–210. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1971.15-205. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Silberberg A., Schrot J. A yoked-chamber comparison of concurrent and multiple schedules: the relationship between component duration and responding. J Exp Anal Behav. 1974 Jul;22(1):21–30. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1974.22-21. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Todorov J. C. Component duration and relative response rates in multiple schedules. J Exp Anal Behav. 1972 Jan;17(1):45–49. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1972.17-45. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Todorov J. C. Interaction of frequency and magnitude of reinforcement on concurrent performances. J Exp Anal Behav. 1973 May;19(3):451–458. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1973.19-451. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. YOUNG P. T. The role of affective processes in learning and motivation. Psychol Rev. 1959 Mar;66(2):104–125. doi: 10.1037/h0045997. [DOI] [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