Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior logoLink to Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
. 1982 Sep;38(2):143–155. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1982.38-143

Fixed-ratio performance with and without a postreinforcement timeout

James E Mazur, Marcia E Hyslop
PMCID: PMC1347809  PMID: 16812293

Abstract

Pigeons pecked a key, producing food reinforcement on fixed-ratio (FR) schedules requiring 50, 100, or 150 responses. In each session, 30-second timeouts were inserted before a random half of the FR trials, whereas the other trials began immediately after reinforcement. In general, preratio pauses were shorter on trials preceded by timeouts. On these trials, the probability of a first response tended to be highest in the first 20 seconds of the trials, suggesting that the shorter pauses were the result of transient behavioral contrast. Direct observations and analyses of interresponse times (IRTs) after the preratio pause indicated that IRTs could be grouped into three categories: (1) IRTs of about .1 second, which were produced by small head movements in the vicinity of the key; (2) IRTs of about .3 second, which were produced by distinct pecking motions; and (3) IRTs greater than .5 second, which were accompanied by pausing or movements away from the key. At all ratio sizes, as a subject progressed through a trial, the probability of a long IRT decreased, whereas the probability of an intermediate IRT usually increased at first and then decreased. The probability of a short IRT increased monotonically across a trial. The results show that responding changes systematically as a subject progresses through a ratio on an FR schedule. Some characteristics of performance varied as functions of the absolute size of the response requirement, whereas others appeared to depend on the relative location within a ratio (i.e., the proportion of the ratio completed at a given moment).

Keywords: fixed ratio, timeout, preratio pause, local response rate, key peck, pigeons

Full text

PDF
143

Selected References

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

  1. Crossman E. K. Pause relationships in multiple and chained fixed-ratio schedules. J Exp Anal Behav. 1968 Mar;11(2):117–126. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1968.11-117. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Felton M., Lyon D. O. The post-reinforcement pause. J Exp Anal Behav. 1966 Mar;9(2):131–134. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1966.9-131. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Gamzu E., Schwartz B. The maintenance of key pecking by stimulus-contingent and response-independent food presentation. J Exp Anal Behav. 1973 Jan;19(1):65–72. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1973.19-65. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gott C. T., Weiss B. The development of fixed-ratio performance under the influence of ribonucleic acid. J Exp Anal Behav. 1972 Nov;18(3):481–497. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1972.18-481. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. KAPLAN M. The maintenance of escape behavior under fixed-ratio reinforcement. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1956 Apr;49(2):153–157. doi: 10.1037/h0048735. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Malone J. C. Local contrast and Pavlovian induction. J Exp Anal Behav. 1976 Nov;26(3):425–440. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1976.26-425. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. 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]
  8. Nevin J. A., Shettleworth S. J. An analysis of contrast effects in multiple schedules. J Exp Anal Behav. 1966 Jul;9(4):305–315. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1966.9-305. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Pear J. J., Rector B. L. Constituents of response rates. J Exp Anal Behav. 1979 Nov;32(3):341–362. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1979.32-341. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. 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]
  11. Powell R. W. The effect of small sequential changes in fixed-ratio size upon the post-reinforcement pause. J Exp Anal Behav. 1968 Sep;11(5):589–593. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1968.11-589. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. REYNOLDS G. S. Behavioral contrast. J Exp Anal Behav. 1961 Jan;4:57–71. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1961.4-57. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. 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]
  14. Schwartz B. Stimulus-reinforcer contingencies and local behavioral contrast. J Exp Anal Behav. 1978 Mar;29(2):297–308. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1978.29-297. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Staddon J. E. Multiple fixed-interval schedules: transient contrast and temporal inhibition. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Jul;12(4):583–590. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1969.12-583. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. 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]

Articles from Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior are provided here courtesy of Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

RESOURCES