Abstract
Two groups of 10 college male Ss were recruited, to be given 5 successive, weekly, 1-hr. work sessions, each following a 20-min. “pre-test” and a questionnaire. These 1-hr. work sessions were all rewarded at the same frequency of reinforcement (1/1000). The control group was continued throughout each of the 5 sessions at 15¢ each reinforcement. The test group was, for the first session, given 15¢ each reinforcement and then the reinforcement level was systematically lowered for each next session by 3¢, thus resulting in levels of 12¢, 9¢, 6¢, and 3¢ for Sessions 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. The work was that of repetitively pulling a manipulandum against a constant-tension spring requiring 25 lb. of force, horizontally, through 5/8 in. distance. Counting the output of only those Ss keeping their appointments for any given session, the mean work output of the decreasing-magnitude group showed a statistically significant, poorer maintenance of work-performance level than did the control group. Counting failures to keep appointments as zero performances for each group, the test group showed even more markedly poor maintenance of output over the 5 sessions.
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