Repeated Acquisition of Response Sequences by Pigeons Under Chained and Tandem Schedules with Reset and Non-Reset Contingencies

Abstract

Pigeons were trained to acquire a new four-response sequence in each session by pecking three keys in a predetermined order. The keys were illuminated by different colors during each step under the chained schedule, but by only one color under the tandem schedule. Under the reset contingency, incorrect responses produced a short timeout and a reset of the four-response sequence to its beginning. Only the timeout was produced by incorrect responses in the non-reset contingency. Under both chained and tandem schedules, the pigeons responding under the reset contingency made fewer errors during the session and had a more rapid within-session error reduction than the pigeons responding under the non-reset contingency. Under both reset and non-reset contingencies, the pigeons made fewer errors under the chained schedules than under the tandem schedules.