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Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior logoLink to Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
. 1967 Mar;10(2):151–158. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1967.10-151

Behavioral contrast and relative reinforcement frequency in two multiple schedules1

T M Bloomfield
PMCID: PMC1338295  PMID: 6032519

Abstract

After preliminary variable-interval training, one group of pigeons was trained on a series of multiple variable-interval low-rate reinforcement schedules, while another group was trained on a series of multiple variable-interval fixed-ratio reinforcement schedules. Contrast effects were observed as variable-interval baseline rate changed in a direction away from the change in reinforcement frequency in the other component. The effects of the variable-interval component on performance in the low-rate and fixed-ratio reinforcement components in the multiple schedules were assessed by comparing the birds' performances on each of these schedules alone. Fixed-ratio reinforcement schedules showed a susceptibility to contrast effects, low-rate reinforcement schedules did not. The rate of reinforcement in fixed-ratio schedules at which no interaction occurred in the multiple schedules was higher than that in variable-interval 1-min schedules, suggesting that pigeons may prefer time-based, rather than response-based, reinforcement.

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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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