Grace, R. C., Schwendiman, J. W., & Nevin, J. A. (1998).
Effects of unsignaled delay of reinforcement on preference and resistance to change.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior,
69, 247-261.
In Phase 1, pigeons were trained on a concurrent chain in which a
3-s unsignaled delay of reinforcement was imposed on responding
in a terminal link in some conditions. Preference for that
terminal link was always reduced in comparison with conditions in
which there was no delay, substantially so for 3 of the 4
pigeons. In Phase 2, pigeons responded in a two-component
multiple schedule. The scheduled rates of reinforcement were
equal, but a 3-s unsignaled delay was imposed in one component.
Resistance of responding to prefeeding and extinction was reduced
in the delay component for the same 3 subjects for which the data
had shown strong effects of delay on preference. Systematic
observation revealed differences in response topography. In the
delay component, subjects oriented more closely to the key and
responses were less forceful compared with the no-delay
component. Our results give further evidence that preference and
resistance to change covary within subjects. However, they
challenge the premise that the critical determiners of preference
(i.e., terminal-link value) and resistance to change (behavioral
mass) may be quantified purely in terms of
stimulus—reinforcer relations.
Key words: choice, resistance to change, unsignaled delay of
reinforcement, concurrent chains, multiple schedules, key peck,
pigeons