Timing with opportunity cost: concurrent schedules of reinforcement improve peak timing.

Full Abstract

The temporal generalization gradient produced by the peak-interval (PI) procedure reflects behavior under the control of positive reinforcement for responding after the criterial time, but shows negligible discouragement for early responses. The lack of consequences for premature responding may affect estimates of timing accuracy and precision in the PI procedure. In two experiments, we sought to encourage more accurate timing in pigeons by establishing an opportunity cost for such responding. Concurrent ratio and interval schedules of reinforcement reduced the dispersion of keypecking around the target time. A sequence of three response-rate states (low-high-low) characterized performance in individual trials. Opportunity cost substantially reduced the mean and standard deviation of the duration of the middle-high state that typically enveloped the target time, indicating improved temporal acuity. We suggest a model as a first-order approximation to timing with opportunity cost.

Author information

Author/s: Sanabria, Federico (F); Thrailkill, Eric A (EA); Killeen, Peter R (PR);

Affiliation: Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA. federico.sanabria(-atsign-)asu.edu

Grants: 1R01MH066860 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Learning & behavior : a Psychonomic Society publication (Learn Behav), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Aug; vol 37 (issue 3) : pp 217-29

Dates: Created 2009/06/22; Completed 2009/08/21;

PMID: 19542089, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 8/21/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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