Harper, D. N. (1996).
Response-independent food delivery and behavioral resistance to change.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior,
65, 549-560.
Response-independent food was delivered during a dark-key phase
between two multiple-schedule components to explore its
disruptive effects on responding. Responding in components was
maintained by separate variable-interval 120-s schedules, with a
2-s reinforcer in Component 1 and a 6-s reinforcer in Component
2. Across conditions the rate and duration of
response-independent food presentations were manipulated. The
results showed that response rates in both components decreased
as a function of the duration and the rate of
response-independent food present ations; moreover, the decrease
in response rate relative to the baseline level was larger in
Component 1 than in Component 2. These findings were consistent
with expectations from behavioral momentum theory, which predicts
that if equal disruption (response-independent food in this case)
is applied to responding in two components, then the ratio of
response-rate change in Component 1 versus Component 2 should
remain constant, irrespective of the magnitude of that
disruption.
Key words: behavioral momentum, resistance to change, multiple
schedules, pigeons