Human operant learning under concurrent reinforcement of response variability

This study asked whether the concurrent reinforcement of behavioral variability facilitates learning to emit a difficult target response. Sixty students repeatedly pressed sequences of keys, with an originally infrequently occurring target sequence consistently being followed by positive feedback. T...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Learning and motivation 2006-02, Vol.37 (1), p.79-92
Main Authors: Maes, J.H.R., van der Goot, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior
Cognition & reasoning
College students
Humans
Learning
Operant Conditioning
Operant learning
Positive Reinforcement
Response selection
Response variability
Responses
Students
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This study asked whether the concurrent reinforcement of behavioral variability facilitates learning to emit a difficult target response. Sixty students repeatedly pressed sequences of keys, with an originally infrequently occurring target sequence consistently being followed by positive feedback. Three conditions differed in the feedback given to non-target sequences: concurrent positive feedback presented contingent on response variability, positive feedback presented non-contingently, or no reinforcement for any non-target responses (control condition). Contrary to the result of analogous rat studies, if anything, the participants in the control condition more readily learned to emit the target sequence than did the subjects in each of the other two conditions. It is argued that these contradictory findings are primarily caused by procedural differences, such as differences in the density of the reinforcement schedule applied to non-target behavior, rather than reflecting a true species difference.
ISSN:0023-9690
1095-9122
DOI:10.1016/j.lmot.2005.03.003