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. 1993 Sep;60(2):331–343. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1993.60-331

Behavioral contrast for key pecking as a function of component duration when only one component varies

Frances K McSweeney, Cam L Melville
PMCID: PMC1322180  PMID: 16812701

Abstract

Pigeons pecked keys for food reinforcers delivered by multiple variable-interval 2-min variable-interval 2-min schedules. Positive behavioral contrast was created by changing one component to extinction; negative contrast was achieved by changing one component to a variable-interval 15-s schedule. The duration of each component was varied independently of the other from 5 to 960 s. The size of positive contrast was greatest when the extinction component was 30 or 60 s long. It did not change significantly with changes in the duration of the variable-interval 2-min component. The absolute size of negative contrast decreased with increases in the duration of the variable-interval 2-min component. It did not change significantly with changes in the duration of the variable-interval 15-s component. These results show that the size of contrast is determined primarily by the duration of the component that provides the less favorable conditions of reinforcement. These results are not predicted by current theories.

Keywords: behavioral contrast, component duration, multiple schedule, variable-interval schedule, key peck, pigeons

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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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