RATE AND TEMPORAL PATTERN OF KEY PECKING UNDER AUTOSHAPING AND OMISSION SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT 1

Abstract

The role of response‐reinforcer contiguity on autoshaped key pecking in pigeons was studied by scheduling response‐dependent nonreinforcement at the beginning or the end of brief (8‐sec) discrete trials. Schedules that permitted chance conjunctions of key pecking and food sustained high rates of responding, whereas those that prevented the occurrence of key peck‐food intervals shorter than 4 sec sustained low response rates. In addition, selective reinforcement schedules supported accelerating or decelerating rates of responding within individual trials. These effects were traceable to response‐reinforcer (operant), but not stimulus‐reinforcer (respondent) factors.