Animals performing on simple fixed-ratio (FR) schedules vi typically pause after reinforcement delivery. The present study demonstrated systematic control of pause length in multiple fixed ratio schedules by manipulating FR size and reinforcement magnitude. In Experiment I, two adult male rabbits were stabilized on an alternating, two component, multiple FR 10 FR 10 schedule. Different colored lights were correlated with both FR components. Stability was determined and mean pause lengths were calculated as one FR component was increased in size until the schedule was FR 10 FR 50. Pausing was longer before the large FR component and was positively correlated with increases in FR size. Schedule and stimulus control were demonstrated by randomizing the order of FR presentations and by reversing the colored lights previously correlated with either the small or large FR components. Existing pause differentials were not disrupted under the light reversal or random conditions. In Experiment II, the same rabbits were stabilized at mult FR 10 FR 30 with 1/2 cc of water delivered after each component. In subsequent conditions the magnitude of reinforcement (cc's of water) delivered at the completion of the large FR component, was systematically shifted from 4 cc, to 3 cc, 2 cc, 1 cc and finally back to 1/2 cc. Pausing before the large FR was found to be inversely related to the magnitude of reinforcement delivered in that component. Clearly the animals in this experiment discriminated upcoming schedule conditions and paused relative to FR size and reinforcement magnitude. Hence, it is proper to point out that the term "post-reinforcement pause" is a misnomer since it incorrectly implies a functional relation between pause length and prior schedule conditions.

The current study investigated the impact of delivering a jackpot on response rate and response allocation in two domestic dogs. For the purpose of this research, a jackpot was defined as a one-time, within-session increase in the magnitude of reinforcement. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of delivering a jackpot in both single-operant and concurrent schedule procedures. Experiment 1 investigated the impact of a one-time, within-session increase in the magnitude of reinforcement on response rate in a single-operant procedure. Results of Experiment 1 showed no clear change in response rate after the delivery of the jackpot. Experiment 2 investigated the impact of a one-time, within-session increase in the magnitude of reinforcement on response allocation in a concurrent schedule procedure. Results of Experiment 2 showed an increase in response allocation to the jackpotted contingency in both subjects. These results suggest that a jackpot, as defined here, has no effect in single-operant procedures while having an effect in concurrent schedule procedures. These effects are similar to those reported in the magnitude of reinforcement literature.

The present study was conducted to determine whether conjugate magnitude and temporal contingencies were effective in increasing the pre-ratio pause (PRP) duration and to determine the controlling variables that govern such contingencies. It has been reported in the literature that magnitude of reinforcement, if presented contingently, is effective in controlling performance and that inserting intervals of blackout (BO), during which responding does not lead to reinforcement, virtually always leads to control of responding, even though it has not been presented contingently. The conjugate schedules experimentally arranged reinforcement such that the longer the PRP, the longer was the duration of access to reinforcement and/or the shorter was the BO, located either after reinforcement or after the response. The results of this study demonstrated that the major independent variable which controlled mean PRP duration on the various conjugate reinforcement schedules studied was the delay between the response and reinforcement. The duration of the PRP was not reliably controlled by a contingency which equated PRP duration with reinforcement duration, nor by a contingency which, through imposition of a delay to trial onset, held the local delay to reinforcement constant. Additionally, cycle-to-cycle variation in reinforcement magnitude, whether presented contingently or noncontingently on PRP duration, had no reliable effect on PRP duration when compared to FR 1. The primary effect of variation in the duration of reinforcement was to reduce the variability, not the duration, of the PRP. The results of the study are briefly discussed in terms of a number of theories. These include: the maximization account (Logan, 1960); the matching law (Herrnstein, 1970); Harzem and Harzem's (1981) theory describing the unconditioned inhibitory stimulus function of reinforcement; behavioral contrast (Reynolds, 1961); and Dews' (1981) account of the importance of a response-reinforcer contiguity relation.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of changes in magnitude of negative reinforcement on multiple schedules with the guinea pigs. In both schedule components, the first response (lever press) after an average of 10 seconds was reinforced. In the constant component of this schedule the reinforcement magnitude (time-off from electric foot shock) was always 15 seconds; whereas, in the manipulated component the magnitude changed in the following sequence: 15, 7.5, 15, 30, and 15 seconds. All subjects showed a gradual decrease in response rate across baseline conditions. When behavioral effects were evaluated relative to this changing baseline, five of six subjects demonstrated that as the reinforcement magnitude decreased in one component, the response rates in both components decreased (negative induction). Likewise, when reinforcement magnitude increased in one component, all subjects showed behavioral induction. Specifically, three subjects showed increases in response rate in both components (positive induction), while two subjects showed decreases in response rate in v both components (negative induction). This research extends the generality of the behavioral induction phenomena on multiple schedules to in elude negative reinforcement with the guinea pig as a function of changes in reinforcement magnitude

A análise do comportamento tem tido sucesso no ensino de comportamento verbal de ouvinte e falante para o público autista. Parte dos resultados positivos que têm sido obtidos são atribuídos ao efeito do reforçamento das respostas corretas treinadas. Porém, é importante também a investigação dos efeitos das consequências que se dão às respostas incorretas. Uma das consequências que pode ser prevista é a correção de erro. Alguns estudos têm sido feitos nesse tema, sendo que alguns tratam da topografia com que se fornece a essa correção e outros tratam do esquema de reforçamento que se pode dar após a resposta comparada ao reforçamento dado a respostas corretas independentes. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi comparar uma condição que fornecia reforçadores de mesma magnitude para respostas corrigidas e independentes com uma segunda condição que fornecia reforçadores de diferentes magnitudes para estes dois tipos de respostas. Foram medidas as taxas de respostas corretas no ensino de tato e discriminação auditivo-visual para três crianças com desenvolvimento atípico. No ensino das respostas de tato, todos os participantes obtiveram melhores resultados na condição de diferentes magnitudes. Para respostas de discriminação auditivo-visual, dois participantes obtiveram melhores resultados com a condição de diferentes magnitudes e um obteve melhores resultados com mesma magnitude / Behavior analysis has been successful in teaching verbal behavior listener and speaker responses to the autistics children. Part of the positive results that have been obtained are attributed to the reinforcing effect of the correct trained response. However, it is also important to investigate the effects of the consequences of incorrect responses. One of the consequences that can be predicted is the error correction procedure. Some studies have been done on this theme, some of wich deal with the topography that is provided to this correction and others deal with the reinforcement scheme that can be given after the correct or incorrect responses. The objective of the present study was to compare a condition that provided reinforcers of the same magnitude for corrected and independent responses with a second condition that provided reinforcers of different magnitudes for these two types of responses. The rates of correct responses in the teaching of listen responses and tact were measured for three children with autism. In the teaching of tact responses, all the participants obtained better results in the participants obtained better results in the condition of different magnitudes. For listen responses, two participants obtained better results with the condition of different magnitudes and one obtained better results with the same magnitudes

A análise do comportamento tem tido sucesso no ensino de comportamento verbal de ouvinte e falante para o público autista. Parte dos resultados positivos que têm sido obtidos são atribuídos ao efeito do reforçamento das respostas corretas treinadas. Porém, é importante também a investigação dos efeitos das consequências que se dão às respostas incorretas. Uma das consequências que pode ser prevista é a correção de erro. Alguns estudos têm sido feitos nesse tema, sendo que alguns tratam da topografia com que se fornece a essa correção e outros tratam do esquema de reforçamento que se pode dar após a resposta comparada ao reforçamento dado a respostas corretas independentes. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi comparar uma condição que fornecia reforçadores de mesma magnitude para respostas corrigidas e independentes com uma segunda condição que fornecia reforçadores de diferentes magnitudes para estes dois tipos de respostas. Foram medidas as taxas de respostas corretas no ensino de tato e discriminação auditivo-visual para três crianças com desenvolvimento atípico. No ensino das respostas de tato, todos os participantes obtiveram melhores resultados na condição de diferentes magnitudes. Para respostas de discriminação auditivo-visual, dois participantes obtiveram melhores resultados com a condição de diferentes magnitudes e um obteve melhores resultados com mesma magnitude / Behavior analysis has been successful in teaching verbal behavior listener and speaker responses to the autistics children. Part of the positive results that have been obtained are attributed to the reinforcing effect of the correct trained response. However, it is also important to investigate the effects of the consequences of incorrect responses. One of the consequences that can be predicted is the error correction procedure. Some studies have been done on this theme, some of wich deal with the topography that is provided to this correction and others deal with the reinforcement scheme that can be given after the correct or incorrect responses. The objective of the present study was to compare a condition that provided reinforcers of the same magnitude for corrected and independent responses with a second condition that provided reinforcers of different magnitudes for these two types of responses. The rates of correct responses in the teaching of listen responses and tact were measured for three children with autism. In the teaching of tact responses, all the participants obtained better results in the participants obtained better results in the condition of different magnitudes. For listen responses, two participants obtained better results with the condition of different magnitudes and one obtained better results with the same magnitudes