Abstract
Prior work has shown that when the separate correct responses of a conditional discrimination are followed by different reinforcing outcomes, performance is enhanced relative to that obtained under the conventional, single-reinforcer procedure. Four experiments with pigeons yielded the analogous finding when the different outcomes were reinforcement and explicit nonreinforcement. Controls indicated that the results could not be attributed to the effects of intermittent reinforcement, to possible differences in cue duration, or to a variety of potential sources of conditioned reinforcement. An interpretation in terms of expectancy learning is proposed.
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This research was supported by a grant from the Graduate School of the University of Minnesota and NICCHD Grant HDO1136 to the Center for Research in Human Learning.
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Peterson, G.B., Wheeler, R.L. & Trapold, M.A. Enhancement of pigeons’ conditional discrimination performance by expectancies of reinforcement and nonreinforcement. Animal Learning & Behavior 8, 22–30 (1980). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03209726
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03209726