PATTERNS OF RESPONDING WITHIN SESSIONS

Frances K McSweeney; John M Hinson

doi:10.1901/jeab.1992.58-19

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PATTERNS OF RESPONDING WITHIN SESSIONS

Frances K McSweeney and John M Hinson

Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, Vol.58(1), pp.19-36

07/1992

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1901/jeab.1992.58-19

Handle:

https://hdl.handle.net/2376/107849

PMCID: PMC1322111

PMID: 1645100

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Abstract

lever press

treadle press

response rate

time in session

key peck

rats

pigeons

key press

Rates of responding changed systematically across sessions for rats pressing levers and keys and for pigeons pressing treadles and pecking keys. A bitonic function in which response rates increased and then decreased across sessions was the most common finding, although an increase in responding also occurred alone. The change in response rate was usually large. The function relating responding to time in session had the following general characteristics: It appeared early in training, and further experience moved and reduced its peak; it was flatter for longer sessions; and it was flatter, more symmetrical, and peaked later for lower than for higher rates of reinforcement. Factors related to reinforcement exerted more control over the location of the peak rate of responding and the steepness of the decline in response rates than did factors related to responding. These within‐session changes in response rates have fundamental theoretical and methodological implications.

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Details

Title: PATTERNS OF RESPONDING WITHIN SESSIONS
Creators: Frances K McSweeney
John M Hinson
Publication Details: Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, Vol.58(1), pp.19-36
Academic Unit: Psychology, Department of
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Oxford, UK
Number of pages: 18
Identifiers: 99900547018401842
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article