THE RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF REINFORCERS.
Item
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Title
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THE RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF REINFORCERS.
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Identifier
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AAI8222944
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identifier
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8222944
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Creator
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FISCH, GENE SANDY.
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Contributor
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Thom Verhave
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Date
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1982
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Experimental
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Abstract
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This study investigated the effect of amount of reinforcement on behavior.;Seven male hooded rats were exposed to a reaction time procedure in which the concentration of sucrose and salt were systematically manipulated. Six sucrose concentrations and nine salt concentrations were presented in various combinations for each session over three or five consecutive sessions.;The method used a single response lever, and two stimuli drawn from two separate modalities. The lever press was distinguished from the lever release.;The organization of the procedure was trial-by-trial. A cycle began with a variable intertrial interval (ITI). After the ITI elapsed, a light came on. The subject pressed and held the lever for a variable foreperiod until white noise was presented. When the lever was released, the reinforcer was delivered, light and noise terminated, and the cycle began again.;The data consisted of latency of lever release (RT, measured in msec) and rate of responding during the ITI and foreperiod. Median response measures and SIQRs were determined for each subject for the totality of sessions in which a sucrose-salt solution was in effect. Group mean response measures were also determined for each solution.;The results showed that RT was a non-monotonic function of sucrose but an increasing function of salt. Rate was non-monotonic for both sucrose and salt. Group data were initialized at 0% salt for each sucrose parameter and a regression equation obtained for each response measure. These results indicated a strong positive correlation between salt concentration and RT, and a negative correlation between salt and rate. A strong inverse relation between RT and rate was also noted.;The effects of sucrose on RT and rate and the effect of salt on RT are compatible with earlier studies. The strong inverse correlation between RT and rate is at variance with weak inverse correlations found previously. The data were also discussed in terms of an economic model of preference, where RT and rate were parameters for indifference functions. It was noted that neither set of functions conformed to the assumptions for the model.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
