The effect of relative and absolute reinforcement magnitude on operant responding

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if the changes in operant responding observed after shifts in reinforcement magnitude are due to antecedent reinforcement conditions, or the absolute reinforcement magnitude in effect at any given time. All animals in both experiments were responding on a multiple VI 20 second-extinction schedule of reinforcement. In one experiment, the animals were trained on 0.04 ml dippers, and were subsequently switched to both large and smaller dipper sizes. In the second experiment, three groups of rats were trained on 0.01, 0.04 and 0.10 ml dippers; each group was run exclusively on its designated dipper size. Data from both experiments were computer processed to yield a detailed description of response pattern. Rate of response, during both schedule components, depended on reinforcement magnitude only in the first experiment. Pausing behavior, both after reinforcement and during response runs, was inversely correlated with reinforcement magnitude in both experiments. It was concluded that pausing is a function of absolute dipper size, but response rate is a function of prior reinforcement conditions.