Williams, A. M., & Lattal, K. A. (1999).
The role of the response—reinforcer relation in delay-of-reinforcement effects.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior,
71, 187-194.
The role of the response—reinforcer relation in maintaining
operant behavior under conditions of delayed reinforcement was
investigated by using a two-operandum (i.e., two-key) procedure
with pigeons. Responding on one key was reinforced under a tandem
variable- interval differential-reinforcement-of-other-behavior
(tandem VI DRO) schedule. The schedule defined a resetting
unsignaled delay- of-reinforcement procedure in that a response
was required when the interfood interval of the VI schedule
lapsed, but further responding during the DRO component on either
key reset the time interval. This ensured a fixed delay duration
between any response and reinforcement. Responding on another
key, physically identical to the first one except for spatial
location, otherwise was without consequence. The location of the
key correlated with the delay-of-reinforcement procedure varied
between sessions according to a semirandom sequence. Differences
in response rates between the two keys were greater, with
proportionally higher rates on the key correlated with the
delay-of-reinforcement procedure, the longer the
delay-of-reinforcement procedure remained correlated with the
same key. Differences in responding on the two keys also
increased within individual sessions. These results suggest that
the response—reinforcer relation is the primary determinant
of responding when responding is acquired and maintained with
delayed reinforcement.
Key words: delay of reinforcement, tandem VI DRO schedule,
response-reinforcer relation, key peck, pigeons