Grace, R. C., Bedell, M. A., & Nevin, J. A. (2002).
Preference and resistance to change with constant- and variable-duration terminal links: Independence of reinforcement rate and magnitude.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior,
77, 233-255.
Pigeons responded in a three-component multiple concurrent-chains
procedure in which the variable-interval reinforcement schedules
were the same across components but magnitudes differed across
components. The terminal links were arranged either as a variable
delay followed by presentation of a reinforcer ("variable
duration") or as a fixed period of access to the schedule
during which a variable number of reinforcers could be earned
("constant duration"). Relative reinforcement rate was
varied parametrically across both types of conditions. After
baseline training in each condition, resistance to change of
terminal-link responding was assessed by delivering food during
the initial links according to a variable-time schedule. Both
preference and resistance to change were more sensitive to
reinforcement-rate differences in the constant-duration
conditions. Sensitivities of preference and resistance to change
to relative reinforcement rate did not change depending on
relative reinforcement magnitude. Taken together, these results
confirm and extend those of prior studies, and suggest that
reinforcement rate and magnitude combine additively to determine
preference and resistance to change. A single structural relation
linking preference and resistance to change describes all the
data from this and several related studies.
Key words: concurrent chains, resistance to change,
behavioral momentum, reinforcement rate, reinforcement magnitude,
key peck, pigeons