Abstract
Four of five pigeons were conditioned to peck a key at a high, stable rate on a VI schedule and then given concurrent access to free food. It was found, in replication of Neuringer’s results, that the pigeons pecked a key for grain in the presence of free grain. When availability of the response key (high-probability response) was made contingent on eating free grain (a lower probability response), there was a progressive increase in free-food eating, confirming Premack’s reinforcement principle. For two additional birds, when availability of the key was made contingent onnot eating the free food (a type of DRO schedule), the frequency of free-food eating declined. Thus, availability of the key. depending on the contingency, reinforced both the eating and noneating of free food.
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Sawisch, L.P., Denny, M.R. Reversing the reinforcement contingencies of eating and keypecking behaviors. Animal Learning & Behavior 1, 189–192 (1973). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03199072
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03199072