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. 1981 May;35(3):283–291. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1981.35-283

Undermatching and contrast within components of multiple schedules

Anthony P McLean, K Geoffrey White
PMCID: PMC1333084  PMID: 16812217

Abstract

Six multiple variable-interval schedules each comprised one variable-interval sixty second component and an alternated component which was varied. Four pigeons' responses were recorded in five successive subintervals of each component. Response rate changes across subintervals revealed instances of local contrast and small local induction effects in the changed component. In the constant component, smaller local contrast and larger local induction effects obtained. Accordingly, the magnitude of behavioral contrast, defined as an inverse relation between response rate in the constant component and reinforcement rate in the changed component, did not change reliably across subintervals of the constant component. Ratios of response rates in initial subintervals were highly sensitive to reinforcement ratios. Sensitivity decreased sharply over the first two-fifths of the components and remained constant for the remainder. The results demonstrated that changes in multiple schedule sensitivity are a function of time since the alternation of successive components.

Keywords: undermatching, behavioral contrast, local contrast, component subintervals, multiple variable-interval schedules, key peck, pigeons

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Selected References

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

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