A test of the evolutionary theory's account of punishment superimposed on single-alternative schedules.

Abstract

A test of the evolutionary theory was conducted by replicating Bradshaw et al.'s (1977, 1978, 1979) experiments in which human participants worked on single-alternative variable-interval (VI) schedules of reinforcement under three punishment conditions: no punishment, superimposed VI punishment, and superimposed variable-ratio (VR) punishment. Artificial organisms (AOs) animated by the theory worked in the same environments. Four principal findings were reported for the human participants: (1) their behavior was well described by an hyperbola in all conditions, (2) the asymptote of the hyperbola under VI punishment was equal to the asymptote in the absence of punishment, but the asymptote under VR punishment was lower than the asymptote in the absence of punishment, (3) the parameter in the denominator of the hyperbola was larger under both VI and VR punishment than in the absence of punishment, and (4) response suppression under punishment was greater at lower than at higher reinforcement frequencies. These four outcomes were also observed in the behavior of the AOs working in the same environments, thereby confirming the theory's first-order predictions about the effects of punishment on single-alternative responding.