Effect of Reinforcer Magnitude on Performance Maintained by Progressive-Ratio Schedules

Autor/inn/en	Rickard, J. F.; Body, S.; Zhang, Z.; Bradshaw, C. M.; Szabadi, E.
Titel	Effect of Reinforcer Magnitude on Performance Maintained by Progressive-Ratio Schedules
Quelle	In: Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 91 (2009) 1, S.75-87 (13 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0022-5002
DOI	10.1901/jeab.2009.91-75
Schlagwörter	Reaction Time; Correlation; Reinforcement; Response Rates (Questionnaires); Experiments; Incentives; Animals; Models; Foreign Countries; United Kingdom + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Reaktionsvermögen; Korrelation; Positive Verstärkung; Antwortkontrolle; Erprobung; Anreiz; Animal; Tier; Tiere; Analogiemodell; Ausland; Großbritannien
Abstract	This experiment examined the relationship between reinforcer magnitude and quantitative measures of performance on progressive-ratio schedules. Fifteen rats were trained under a progressive-ratio schedule in seven phases of the experiment in which the volume of a 0.6-M sucrose solution reinforcer was varied within the range 6-300 microliters. Overall response rates in successive ratios conformed to a bitonic equation derived from Killeen's (1994) Mathematical Principles of Reinforcement. The "specific activation" parameter, "a," which is presumed to reflect the incentive value of the reinforcer, was a monotonically increasing function of reinforcer volume; the "response time" parameter,delta, which defines the minimum response time, increased as a function of reinforcer volume; the "currency" parameter, beta, which is presumed to reflect the coupling of responses to the reinforcer, declined as a function of volume. Running response rate (response rate calculated after exclusion of the postreinforcement pause) decayed monotonically as a function of ratio size; the index of curvature of this function increased as a function of reinforcer volume. Postreinforcement pause increased as a function of ratio size. Estimates of "a" derived from overall response rates and postreinforcement pauses showed a modest positive correlation across conditions and between animals. Implications of the results for the quantification of reinforcer value and for the use of progressive-ratio schedules in behavioral neuroscience are discussed. (Contains 1 table and 7 figures.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. Available from: Indiana University Department of Psychology. Bloomington, IN 47405-1301. Tel: 812-334-0395; FAX: 812-855-4691; e-mail: jeab@indiana.edu; Web site: http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jeab/index.html
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10