Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior logoLink to Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
. 1976 Nov;26(3):415–423. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1976.26-415

Food deliveries during the pause on fixed-interval schedules1

Richard L Shull, Marilyn Guilkey
PMCID: PMC1333532  PMID: 16811957

Abstract

Pigeons were trained on fixed-interval schedules of food delivery. In Experiments I and II, the fixed interval was initiated by the previous fixed-interval reinforcer; in Experiment III, the fixed interval was initiated by the first key peck following the preceding fixed-interval reinforcer (a chain fixed-ratio one, fixed-interval schedule). During the postreinforcement pause, variable-time schedules delivered food independent of any specific response. Rate of food delivery during the pause had only small effects on pause duration in Experiments I and II. In Experiment III, however, pause duration increased systematically with the rate of food delivery during the pause. These data suggest that the momentary proximity to reinforcement delivered via the fixed-interval schedule exerts potent control over pause termination. Additional analysis revealed that pause termination was unaffected by the intermittent delivery of food during the pause. Such data suggest that the temporal control by fixed-interval schedules is highly resistant to interference.

Keywords: fixed-interval schedule, response-initiated fixed-interval schedule, postreinforcement pause, temporal control, delay of reinforcement, changeovers, pigeons

Full text

PDF
419

Selected References

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

  1. ANGER D. The dependence of interresponse times upon the relative reinforcement of different interresponse times. J Exp Psychol. 1956 Sep;52(3):145–161. doi: 10.1037/h0041255. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. AZRIN N. H. Punishment and recovery during fixed-ratio performance. J Exp Anal Behav. 1959 Oct;2:301–305. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1959.2-301. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ainslie G. W. Impulse control in pigeons. J Exp Anal Behav. 1974 May;21(3):485–489. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1974.21-485. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Allen J. D., Porter J. H., Arazie R. Schedule-induced drinking as a function of percentage reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1975 Mar;23(2):223–232. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1975.23-223. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Baum W. M. The correlation-based law of effect. J Exp Anal Behav. 1973 Jul;20(1):137–153. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1973.20-137. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Buchman I. B., Zeiler M. D. Stimulus properties of fixed-interval responses. J Exp Anal Behav. 1975 Nov;24(3):369–375. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1975.24-369. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. CATANIA A. C. Independence of concurrent responding maintained by interval schedules of reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1962 Apr;5:175–184. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1962.5-175. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. 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]
  9. Cohen P. S., Looney T. A. Schedule-induced mirror responding in the pigeon. J Exp Anal Behav. 1973 May;19(3):395–408. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1973.19-395. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Dukich T. D., Lee A. E. A comparison of measures of responding under fixed-interval schedules. J Exp Anal Behav. 1973 Sep;20(2):281–290. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1973.20-281. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. 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]
  12. KELLEHER R. T., FRY W., COOK L. ADJUSTING FIXED-RATIO SCHEDULES IN THE SQUIRREL MONKEY. J Exp Anal Behav. 1964 Jan;7:69–77. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1964.7-69. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Knutson J. F. Aggression during the fixed-ratio and extinction components of a multiple schedule of reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1970 Mar;13(2):221–231. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1970.13-221. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Morgan M. J. Fixed-ratio performance under conditions of delayed reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1972 Jan;17(1):95–98. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1972.17-95. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Nevin J. A. Rates and patterns of responding with concurrent fixed-interval and variable-interval reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1971 Sep;16(2):241–247. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1971.16-241. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Powell R. W. The effect of reinforcement magnitude upon responding under fixed-ratio schedules. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Jul;12(4):605–608. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1969.12-605. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Rachlin H., Green L. Commitment, choice and self-control. J Exp Anal Behav. 1972 Jan;17(1):15–22. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1972.17-15. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. SIDMAN M., STEBBINS W. C. Satiation effects under fixed-ratio schedules of reinforcement. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1954 Apr;47(2):114–116. doi: 10.1037/h0054127. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Schneider B. A. A two-state analysis of fixed-interval responding in the pigeon. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Sep;12(5):677–687. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1969.12-677. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Shull R. L. A response-initiated fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1970 Jan;13(1):13–15. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1970.13-13. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Shull R. L. Sequential patterns in post-reinforcement pauses on fixed-interval schedules of food. J Exp Anal Behav. 1971 Mar;15(2):221–231. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1971.15-221. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. WINOGRAD E. ESCAPE BEHAVIOR UNDER DIFFERENT FIXED RATIOS AND SHOCK INTENSITIES. J Exp Anal Behav. 1965 Mar;8:117–124. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1965.8-117. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Zeiler M. D. Fixed and variable schedules of response-independent reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1968 Jul;11(4):405–414. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1968.11-405. [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