Killeen, P. R., & Hall, S. S. (2001).
The principal components of response strength.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior,
75, 111-134.
As Skinner (1938) described it, response strength is the
"state of the reflex with respect to all its static
properties" (p. 15), which include response rate, latency,
probability, and persistence. The relations of those measures to
one another was analyzed by probabilistically reinforcing,
satiating, and extinguishing pigeons' key pecking in a trials
paradigm. Reinforcement was scheduled according to
variable-interval, variable-ratio, and fixed-interval
contingencies. Principal components analysis permitted
description in terms of a single latent variable,
strength, and this was validated with confirmatory factor
analyses. Overall response rate was an excellent predictor of
this state variable.
Key words: factor analysis, latency, persistence, response
probability, response rate, strength, pigeons