Effects of contrasted and complementary probabilities of reinforcement with and without signals in temporal schedules

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects on temporal schedules of the initial variation of complementary probabilities of reinforcement (1.0-0.0, 0.75-0.25, 0.5-0.5 y 1.0-0.0 for t° and t° ewapwctively) without correlated stimuli, and the subsequent introduction of non differential stimuli (green light i9n both subeycles), and differential stimuli (green light for t° and red light for t°) under contrasted probabilities of reinforcement (1.0-0.0. The results confirm that probability of reinforcement had an inversely-proportional effect on response frequency, even when no signal was present. Under contrasted values of probability of reinforcement the highest response frequency was observed during t°, independently of correlated stimuli. Under differential stimuli, response frequency and response variability decreased in t°. Results are discussed in terns of the discriminability of probabilities in each subeyele and the number of water deliveries obtained in the initial cycles of each session.