Influence of the Schedule of Outcome Presentation on Causality Judgements

Abstract

Experiments examined the effect of various relationships between a response (pressing the space bar of a computer) and an outcome (a triangle flashing on a screen) on judgements of the causal effectiveness of the response. As the mean number of responses required per outcome on a variable-ratio (VR) schedule (Experiment 1) or the mean temporal interval on a variableinterval (VI) schedule (Experiment 2) increased, ratings of causal effectiveness of that response decreased. In Experiment 3, yoking procedures matched either the number of responses required per outcome or the temporal distributions of outcomes on a VI and a VR schedule, and responses on the VI schedule were rated more causally effective. In Experiment 4, the overall feedback function on a tandem VI VR and a tandem VR VI schedule was matched, and responses performed on the tandem VR VI schedule were rated as more causally effective.