Abstract

ZAMORA AREVALO, Oscar  and  BOUZAS RIANO, Arturo. Acquisition and Preference Dynamic in Multiple Schedules of Reinforcement. Acta de investigación psicol [online]. 2011, vol.1, n.1, pp.165-179. ISSN 2007-4719.

Eight pigeons were trained on multiple variable ratio-variable ratio schedules of reinforcement (mult VR-VR) with rapid and unexpected changes in reinforcement distribution within both components of the multiple schedule. The main objective of the study was to assess the adjustment of response rates to abrupt and unsignaled changes in the conditions of reinforcement in different periods, particularly whether the dynamics of behavioral change is guided by the ratio or by the difference between the probabilities of reinforcement obtained in the two components of the multiple schedule. The main findings were that when the differences between two schedules of reinforcement (lean and rich) are constant, the development of preference for one of the responses in the multiple schedule was faster when the ratio of the probability of reinforcement was higher (5 to 1), which is consistent with the results obtained with concurrent schedules of reinforcement. However, different from the results obtained using concurrent schedules, when the ratio of probabilities remained constant the rate of acquisition was not faster when the difference between the probabilities of reinforcement was higher. The results highlight the importance of the discriminability of reinforcement probability between training and transition phases.

Keywords : Choice; Behavioral dynamics; Acquisition; Multiple schedules; Pigeons.