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. 1973 May;19(3):491–497. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1973.19-491

Sequential dependencies in free-responding1

Charles P Shimp
PMCID: PMC1334144  PMID: 16811679

Abstract

Three pigeons pecked for food in an experiment in which reinforcements were arranged for responses terminating sequences of interresponse times. Each reinforced interresponse time belonged to a class extending either from 1.0 to 2.0 sec (class A) or from 3.0 to 4.5 sec (class B). Reinforcements were arranged by a single variable-interval schedule and a random device that assigned each reinforcement to one of four sequences of two successive interresponse times: AA, AB, BA, or BB. Throughout the experiment, half of the reinforcements were delivered for interresponse times in class A and half for those in class B. Over conditions, the interresponse time preceding a reinforced interresponse time always, half of the time, or never, belonged to class A. The duration of the interresponse time preceding a reinforced one had a pronounced effect on response patterning. It also had a pronounced effect on the overall response probability, which was highest, intermediate, and lowest, when the interresponse time preceding a reinforced interresponse time always, half of the time, or never, belonged to class A, respectively. In no case were successive interresponse times independent, so that overall response probability was not representative of momentary response probabilities.

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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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