The effects of varying the stimulus probability in "autoshaping/automaintenence"

Abstract

Three groups of pigeons were exposed to a situation of 'autoshaping / automaintenance ", where a neutral stimulus was presented four second probabilistic in a fixed interval between reinforcers. In all groups the reinforcer occurred periodically, without reference to the likelihood of the stimulus. lizando used an interval between boosters 64.32 and 16 seconds as a parameter in each group, gradually decreased the likelihood of the stimulus, maintaining a constant temporal contiguity with the reinforcer. In the second phase of the interval was lengthened stimulus-reinforcer in the three groups, and kept constant  eight seconds. Simultaneously, he turned to decrease the likelihood of the stimulus. Varying the probability of the stimulus caused gradual decreases in the frequency response in all groups and study conditions. It was found that the absolute frequency of response was a direct function of the interval between reinforcers. Lengthening the interstimulus-reinforcer values ​​was a decrease in the frequency response for all values ​​of the variable. These results are similar to those obtained in comparable situations where there has been a contingency between response and reinforcer.