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| The Varied Behavioral Effects of Conditioned Reinforcers Intermittently Paired with Unconditioned Reinforcers |
| Tuesday, May 27, 2008 |
| 9:00 AM–10:20 AM |
| Barbershop |
| Area: EAB; Domain: Basic Research |
| Chair: April M. Becker (University of North Texas) |
| Discussant: Marc N. Branch (University of Florida) |
| Abstract: One important characteristic of conditioned reinforcers is that once they are established they can be scheduled without disrupting ongoing behavior, thus making possible the intermittent delivery of the unconditioned reinforcers. Furthermore, it is commonly thought that better maintenance of behavior is achieved if the conditioned reinforcement is intermittently paired with the unconditioned reinforcement (e.g., Zimmerman, 1950). However, this is not always the case. This symposium will present some experimental research showing some of the conditions in which the presentation of intermittently paired conditioned reinforcers will disrupt performance as well as some of the conditions in which presentation of intermittently paired conditioned reinforcers will enhance performance. The first presentation shows the disruption of a continuously reinforced response by omitting the delivery of the unconditioned reinforcer 50% of the time after the deliver of the conditioned reinforcer. The second presentation shows the disruption of an FR-2 performance by adding the presentation of a conditioned reinforcer following the first response of the FR-2. The third presentation shows the disruption and enhancement of performance by presenting conditioned reinforcers with different discriminative functions. |
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| The Effects of Intermittently Omitting Unconditioned Reinforcers on Behavior Maintained by Continuous Presentation of Conditioned and Unconditioned Reinforcers. |
| JESUS ROSALES-RUIZ (University of North Texas), Pam Wennmacher (University of North Texas) |
| Abstract: In the clicker training community it is a common practice to deliver a click (conditioned Sr+) and a treat (unconditioned SR+) after every correct behavior. At the same time, some advocate the delivery of several clicks before a treat is delivered. There is much controversy over whether there is a difference in the effects of these two procedures. Recent research, however, has shown that the ratio has an effect on both the topography and frequency of behavior (Dunham, et. al., and Wennmacher, et. al., ABA 2005; Kaulafat et.al., ABA 2006). The present study shows an additional analysis of the number of cue presentations required for the dog to perform the behavior during the intermittent pairing of the conditioned and unconditioned reinforcement. Two dogs learned to bow and spin on cue using a continuous presentation of conditioned and unconditioned reinforcers. Then the unconditioned reinforcer was intermittently presented. These two conditions alternated in an ABAB reversal design fashion. The results show that in addition to disrupting the accuracy of responding, the dogs required considerably more repetitions of the cue before the behavior was eventually performed and were more likely to leave the session. |
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| The Detrimental Effects of Adding a Conditioned Reinforcer to the First Response of a FR-2 Performance. |
| KATHRYN L. KALAFUT (University of North Texas), Erica Feuerbacher (University of North Texas), Jesus Rosales-ruiz (University of North Texas) |
| Abstract: In the clicker training community it is a common practice to deliver a click (conditioned Sr+) and a treat (unconditioned Sr+) after every correct behavior. At the same time, some advocate the delivery of several clicks before a treat is delivered. This later practice is supported by research on partial reinforcement. Recent research, however, has shown that delivering a click without a treat has detrimental effects on both the topography and frequency of behavior (Dunham, et. al., and Wennmacher, et. al., 2005). The present research investigated the effects of delivering a click without at treat using a free operant preparation. After a baseline was established using a FR-2 schedule (clicking and treating after every 2 correct responses), each of the dog’s correct responses was followed by a click, but a treat was only given after two correct responses were completed. These two conditions were studied using an ABAB design. Results showed that the delivery of the conditioned reinforcer followed by the unconditioned reinforcer after the completion of the FR-2 allowed for undisrupted behavior, while the presentation of the conditioned reinforcer after the first response of the FR-2 disrupted and slowed the FR-2 performance. |
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| The Disruption and Enhancement of Performance by Conditioned Reinforcers with Different Discriminative Functions. |
| ERICA FEUERBACHER (University of North Texas), Kathryn L. Kalafut (University of North Texas), Jesus Rosales-ruiz (University of North Texas) |
| Abstract: Our previous research showed that delivering a click without a backup reinforcer disrupted the behavior in a free operant preparation with a domestic dog. Using the same preparation in which the dog was required to touch two targets on an FR-2 schedule of reinforcement, we evaluated the effects of delivering a novel stimulus(e.g. “bien”) initially paired the click which in turn was paired with food. After touching the first target the experimenter said “bien”; when the dog then touched the second target, the dog received a click and treat. In this preparation, behavior was maintained at levels equivalent to those when a straight FR-2, without an intermediate stimulus, was used. We then investigated whether we could build second order schedules with the intermediate stimulus “bien”. Our results showed that, after a short adjustment period, an FR-2 FR-2 schedule could be shaped and maintained using “bien” as the consequence for the first FR-2, and a click-treat as the consequence for the completion of the FR-2 FR-2 schedule. These results indicate that using stimuli not directly paired with food is an effective way to maintain and enhance the performance of behavior chains. |
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