The effects of reinforcer magnitude in the preceding and upcoming ratios on between-ratio pausing in multiple fixed-ratio schedules

Abstract

Experiment 1 examined the effects of reinforcer magnitude in the preceding and upcoming ratios on between-ratio pausing during a range of FR values in a multiple FR FR schedule of reinforcement. Two components which were associated with two different discriminative stimuli were used, where one component was associated with a small reinforcer (1-s) and the other component was associated with a large reinforcer (6-s). The longest between-ratio pauses were found when the upcoming reinforcer was small (S-S and L-S transition) than when the upcoming reinforcer was large (S-L and L-L transition). In addition, consistently longer between-ratio pauses occurred when the preceding reinforcer was large and the upcoming reinforcer was small (L-S transition). Experiment 2 examined the effects of the past reinforcer magnitude on the between-ratio pause when the discriminative stimuli to differentiate the preceding and upcoming reinforcer magnitude was removed, during a range of FR values on a multiple FR FR schedule of reinforcement. When the past reinforcer magnitude had been small and the upcoming reinforcer was small or large (S-S and S-L transition) consistently shorter between-ratio pauses occurred. In comparison, when the past reinforcer had been large and the upcoming reinforcer was small or large (L-L and L-S transition) consistently longer pause durations occurred across the two transitions. Overall and running response rates were analysed in Experiments 1 and 2 and it was found that overall and running response rates consistently decreased as the FR values were increased. Overall, these experiments showed that the preceding and upcoming reinforcer magnitudes have a direct effect on the length of the between-ratio pause where increasing the FR value was observed to consistently increase the length of the between-ratio pause, when also compared across the four transitions (Small-Small, Small-Large, Large-Large, and Large-Small).