Abstract
Four pigeons pecked for food reinforcement on variable interval 1-min schedules and on the variable-interval 1-min components of multiple, concurrent, and pseudoconcurrent schedules. The pseudoconcurrent schedule provided only one schedule of reinforcement; but, any reinforcer could be collected by responding on either of two keys. The rate of responding generated by the variable interval schedule was not greater than the rates of responding generated by the components of the complex schedules. But, the rate of reinforcement obtained from the variable interval schedule was greater than the rates of reinforcement obtained from the components of the multiple schedule. These results may contradict the equation proposed by Herrnstein (1970). The equation predicts that the rate of responding generated by a schedule of reinforcement will be greater when the schedule appears alone, than when it appears as one component of a complex schedule.
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This research was supported by NIMH Grant MH 28192-01 to F. K. McSweeney.
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McSweeney, F.K., Dericco, D.A. Rates of responding in the pigeon generated by simple and complex schedules which provide the same rates of reinforcement. Animal Learning & Behavior 4, 379–385 (1976). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03214425
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03214425