A Reversal Effect with Pauses on Mixed Schedules of Reinforcement

Abstract

FIXED ratio (FR) schedules of reinforcement typically generate behaviour that occurs with high probability just before reinforcement, but that is unlikely to be repeated for at least a little while afterwards. Also, these post-reinforcement pauses depend on the length of the ratio. Pauses are normally short when the ratio is small and are longer when a larger number of responses is required per reinforcement¹. In the case of simple FR schedules it is impossible to decide whether longer pauses follow longer runs because these runs generate more reactive inhibition than do short runs² or because on high ratios organisms have ‘a long way to go’ between reinforcements³, because run lengths before and after reinforcements are equal.