TIMEOUT AND CONCURRENT FIXED‐RATIO SCHEDULES WITH HUMAN SUBJECTS 1

Abstract

Human subjects given choices among 10 different pairs of concurrent fixed‐ratio schedules preferred the smaller ratio. After a preference had been determined, timeout of increasing duration followed the completion of the preferred schedule. The larger the fixed‐ratio difference, the longer the timeout necessary to produce the shift to the previously nonpreferred ratio. Responses by two of three subjects were unaffected by changes from response‐dependent to response‐independent pay.