Okouchi, H. (1999).
Instructions as discriminative stimuli.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior,
72, 205-214.
Four undergraduates were exposed to a fixed-ratio schedule under
an instruction to respond slowly and to a
differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate 5-s schedule under an
instruction to respond rapidly. Following this, a fixed-interval
schedule was in effect under those same two sets of instructions.
For 3 of 4 subjects, response rates were higher with the
instruction to respond slowly than with the instruction to
respond rapidly during the fixed-interval schedule. For the
remaining subject, low-rate responding with the instruction to
respond rapidly continued during the first 17 reinforcements of
the fixed-interval schedule. Such control by instructions was not
observed for other subjects exposed only to a fixed-interval
schedule, with or without instructions. The results demonstrate
that the effect of instructions can be altered by contingencies
and suggest that instructions can function as discriminative
stimuli.
Key words: instructions, discriminative stimulus, behavioral
history, fixed-interval schedules, screen touch, humans