Choice in Transition, Changeover Response Requirements, and Local Preference

• Published in: The Psychological record 2014-03, Vol.64 (1), p.31-40
• Main Authors: Jiménez, Ángel Andrés, Aparicio, Carlos F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternatives; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Experiments; Feedback (Response); Food; Original Article; Preferences; Psychology; Studies
• ISSN: 0033-2933; 2163-3452
• DOI: 10.1007/s40732-014-0002-6

Rats responded for food on concurrent random interval schedules arranging seven unsignaled food-rate ratios within sessions. Pressing a changeover lever allowed alternation between a high and a low probability of food lever. Switching from the former to the latter lever always required one response on the changeover lever. In successive conditions, switching from the low to the high probability of food lever required 1, 16, 32, or 48 responses. With successive food deliveries within components, sensitivity to food-rate ratio increased sooner with large than with the small changeover requirements. Preference became more extreme toward the just-productive lever following continuations of food deliveries. Discontinuations of food deliveries shifted preference toward the other lever. Following food deliveries, pulses of preference were of similar size across conditions. Yet, preference for the just-productive lever moved slowly toward indifference with the largest requirements. These findings support the notion that food deliveries exert effects on choice at extended and local time scales.