Sensitivity to nonverbal operant contingencies: Do limited processing resources affect operant conditioning in humans?

Abstract

Two experiments tested whether invoked strain of cognitive resources reduced or prevented sensitivity of human behavior to nonverbal operant contingencies. If processing of a nonverbal operant contingency requires use of a limited-capacity central-processing mechanism, sensitivity to that contingency should be negatively affected by limitation of processing resources. In Experiment 1, availability of processing resources was manipulated by arranging two discrimination tasks, one easy and one difficult. The operant contingency was superimposed on the instructed discrimination task. Unknown to the subjects, outcomes (i.e., reinforcers) depended on the force of pressing and not on the discrimination performance. Reliable adaptation to the operant contingency was observed under the difficult discrimination condition only, indicating that availability of cognitive processing resources is not critical for the processing of an operant contingency. Experiment 2 exposed subjects to the operant contingency superimposed on a very difficult discrimination task. Again, behavior adapted to the operant contingency. Postexperimental interviews and questionnaires revealed no indication of verbalization or awareness of the operant contingency. Taken together, the present data show that processing of nonsalient contigencies is not prevented when verbal and attentional control are diverted from the critical contingency. In addition, an assumption that allocation of conscious processing resources is necessary for adaptation to nonverbal operant contingencies in humans is not supported.