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Effect of signaled reinforcement on response variability
Phil Reed 
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
Swansea University Author:
Phil Reed
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DOI (Published version): 10.1002/jeab.825
Abstract
Three experiments examined the effect of signaling reinforcement on rats' lever pressing on contingencies that reinforced variable responding to extend the exploration of signaled reinforcement to a schedule that has previously not been examined in this respect. In Experiment 1, rats responding...
| Published in: | Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior |
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| ISSN: | 0022-5002 1938-3711 |
| Published: |
Wiley
2023
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| Online Access: |
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62460 |
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| Abstract: |
Three experiments examined the effect of signaling reinforcement on rats' lever pressing on contingencies that reinforced variable responding to extend the exploration of signaled reinforcement to a schedule that has previously not been examined in this respect. In Experiment 1, rats responding on a lag-8 variability schedule with signaled reinforcement displayed greater levels of variability (U values) than rats on the same schedule lacking a reinforcement signal. In Experiment 2, rats responding on a differential reinforcement of least frequent responses schedule also displayed greater operant variability with a signal for reinforcement compared with rats without a reinforcement signal. In Experiment 3, a reinforcement signal decreased the variability of a response sequence when there was no variability requirement. These results offer empirical corroboration that operant variability responds to manipulations in the same manner as do other forms of operant response and that a reinforcement signal facilitates the emission of the required operant. |
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| Keywords: |
differential reinforcement of least frequent responses schedule, lag schedule, operant variability, rat,signaled reinforcement |
| College: |
College of Human and Health Sciences |