Interaction effects of social and tangible reinforcement

Abstract

Interaction effects between tangible and social reinforcement with children were investigated by comparing bar press rates of three groups of kindergarten children under three different reinforcement conditions: tangible, social, and tangible alternated with social reinforcement. Following the reinforcement period bar press rates of the three groups were compared during a brief period of nonreinforcement. In addition, the effects of sex and density of reinforcement were investigated. During the reinforcement period the bar press rate increased most under the conditions of tangible reinforcement where it was alternated with social reinforcement. The girls rates increased more than the boys. In the consequent nonreinforcement period the rate for the group with a history of only tangible reinforcement dropped below the rates of the other two groups. In addition there was an interaction effect between trial blocks and density of reinforcement. Tentative implications of the results are discussed in relation to applied problems.