Abstract
Pigeons received food for responding on a fixed-interval 32-sec schedule divided into three equal parts, each correlated with a distinctive, response-independent, visual stimulus. Response rate was very low during the first two thirds of the interval but high during the terminal third. When a response-dependent brief stimulus correlated with the terminal third was arranged for each response in the presence of the stimuli correlated with the first two thirds, response rate was enhanced, especially in the middle third. However, response rate was suppressed when each response in the presence of the stimulus correlated with the final third produced a brief stimulus correlated with the initial third. A similar suppressive effect occurred when each response produced a brief stimulus correlated with the middle third. Response suppression decreased over successive response-dependent brief-initial-stimulus manipulations. The results were interpreted in terms of reinforcement, punishment, and discriminative stimulus control by visual stimuli correlated with parts of a fixed-interval schedule.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Auge, R. J. Context, observing behavior, and conditioned reinforcement.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1974,22, 525–533.
Brown, T. G., &Flory, R. K. Schedule-induced escape from fixed-interval reinforcement.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1972,17, 395–403.
Brown, P. L., &Jenkins, H. M. Auto-shaping of the pigeon’s key peck.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1968,11, 1–8.
Dews, P. B. The theory of fixed-interval responding. In W. N. Schoenfeld (Ed.),The theory of reinforcement schedules. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1970.
Duncan, B., &Fantino, E. The psychological distance to reward.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1972,18, 23–34.
Falk, J. L. The nature and determinants of adjunctive behavior. In R. M. Gilbert & J. D. Keehn (Eds.),Schedule effects: Drugs, drinking, and aggression. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1972.
Farmer, J., &Schoenfeld, W. N. Varying temporal placement of an added stimulus in a fixed-interval schedule.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1966,9, 369–375.
Ferster, C. B., &Skinner, B. F. Schedules of reinforcement. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1957.
Hendry, D. P., &Dillow, P. V. Observing behavior during interval schedules.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1966,9, 337–349.
Hendry, D. P., Yarczower, M., &Switalski, R. C. Periodic shock with added clock.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1969,12, 159–166.
Kendall, S. B. Some effects of response-dependent clock stimuli in a fixed-interval schedule.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1972,17, 161–168.
Killeen, P. On the temporal control of behavior.Psychological Review, 1975,82, 89–115.
Laties, V. G., &Weiss, B. Influence of drugs on behavior controlled by internal and external stimuli.Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 1966,152, 388–396.
Mulvaney, D. E., Dinsmoor, J. A., Jwaideh, A. R., &Hughes, L. H. Punishment of observing by the negative discriminative stimulus.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1974,21, 37–44.
Richards, R. W., &Rilling, M. Aversive aspects of a fixedinterval schedule of food reinforcement.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1972,17, 405–411.
Schneider, B. A. A two-state analysis of fixed-interval responding in the pigeon.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1969,12, 677–687.
Schneider, J. W. Choice between two-component chained and tandem schedules.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1972,18, 45–60.
Segal, E. F. Exteroceptive control of fixed-interval responding.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1962,5, 49–57.
Staddon, J. E. R., &Simmelhag, V. L. The “superstition” experiment: A re-examination of its implications for the principles of adaptive behavior.Psychological Review, 1971,78, 3–43.
Wallace, R. F. Conditioned reinforcement and choice. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of California, San Diego, 1973.
Wilkie, D. M. Stimulus control of responding during a fixed-interval reinforcement schedule.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1974,21, 425–432.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by a Faculty Development stipend from Denison University. Preparation of the manuscript was supported, in part, by a grant from the Denison University Research Foundation.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Auge, R.J. Stimulus functions within a fixed-interval clock schedule: Reinforcement, punishment, and discriminative stimulus control. Animal Learning & Behavior 5, 117–123 (1977). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03214065
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03214065