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Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior logoLink to Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
. 1973 Nov;20(3):429–438. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1973.20-429

Effects of stimulus duration on observing behavior maintained by differential reinforcement magnitude1

Robert J Auge
PMCID: PMC1334168  PMID: 16811716

Abstract

Pigeons made observing responses for stimuli signalling the availability of either 10-sec or 2-sec access to grain on fixed-interval 1-min schedules. If observing responses did not occur, food-producing responses occurred to a stimulus common to both reinforcement magnitudes. When the stimuli remained on for the duration of the components and signalled differential reinforcement magnitudes, observing responses were maintained; however, when the stimuli remained on for 10 sec, observing responses decreased markedly. In addition, it was shown that the occasional presentation of the stimulus signalling 10-sec access to grain was necessary for the maintenance of observing behavior. A control condition demonstrated that when all the available stimuli signalled 6-sec access to grain, observing responses declined. Taken together, the results demonstrated that the occasional presentation of the stimulus that remained on for the duration of the component and signalled the larger reinforcement magnitude was necessary for the maintenance of observing behavior.

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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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