pmc logo image
Logo of jeabehavJournal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior Web SiteSubscriber LoginJournal of Applied Behavior Analysis Web SiteSubscription InformationInformation for AuthorsJournal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior Web Site
Journal List > J Exp Anal Behav > v.21(1); Jan 1974

Formats:
J Exp Anal Behav. 1974 January; 21(1): 165–175.
PMCID: PMC1333180
Copyright notice
Handwriting as an operant1
Fernando A. Gonzalez and Marcus B. Waller
1This research was supported by grant MH07534 from the United States Public Health Service, Marcus Waller, principal investigator, and by grant NGL34-003-040 NASA, Robert G. Faust, principal investigator. Preparation of the manuscript was supported by U. S. Public Health Service Grant MH07084. The research reported was based on a thesis submitted by the first author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Ph.D. degree in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Reprints may be obtained from Fernando Gonzalez at the Department of Psychobiology, Harvard Medical School, New England Regional Primate Research Center, One Pine Hill Drive, Southborough, Massachusetts 01772. We wish to thank Francisco Barrera and V. M. LoLordo for critical readings of the manuscript.
Small right arrow pointing to: This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.
Abstract
An apparatus was designed to monitor handwriting behavior. Two subjects were studied under various schedules of monetary reinforcement for handwriting. The different schedules engendered and maintained distinctive response patterns but the rates of sustained responding did not vary across schedules. The development of fixed-interval performance following continuous reinforcement resembled the same transition in lower animals. In one subject, availability of reading material interacted with the schedule to determine response pattern. It was suggested that handwriting may be a more appropriate response for the experimental analysis of human behavior than the more frequently used button-pushing or lever-pulling responses.
Full text
Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Get a printable copy (PDF file) of the complete article (2.3M), or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Links to PubMed are also available for Selected References.
 
icon of scanned page 165
165
icon of scanned page 166
166
icon of scanned page 167
167
icon of scanned page 168
168
icon of scanned page 169
169
icon of scanned page 170
170
icon of scanned page 171
171
icon of scanned page 172
172
icon of scanned page 173
173
icon of scanned page 174
174
icon of scanned page 175
175
 
Images in this article
Fig. 1.
Fig. 1. on p.166
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2. on p.167
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
  • Azrin NH. Some Effects of Noise on Human Behavior. J Exp Anal Behav. 1958 Apr;1(2):183–200. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • Baron A, Kaufman A, Stauber KA. Effects of instructions and reinforcement-feedback on human operant behavior maintained by fixed-interval reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Sep;12(5):701–712. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • Davison MC, Kirkwood BJ. Response cost and the control of verbal behavior under free-operant avoidance schedules. J Exp Anal Behav. 1968 Mar;11(2):173–176. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • Frazier TW, Bitetto VE. Control of human vigilance by concurrent schedules. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Jul;12(4):591–600. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • Laties VG, Weiss B. Effects of a concurrent task on fixed-interval responding in humans. J Exp Anal Behav. 1963 Jul;6(3):431–436. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • Long ER, Hammack JT, May F, Campbell BJ. Intermittent reinforcement of operant behavior in children. J Exp Anal Behav. 1958 Oct;1(4):315–339. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • Long ER. Additional techniques for producing multiple-schedule control in children. J Exp Anal Behav. 1962 Oct;5(4):443–455. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • Miller LK. The effect of response force on avoidance rate. J Exp Anal Behav. 1968 Nov;11(6):809–812. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • Poppen R. Effects of concurrent schedules on human fixed-interval performance. J Exp Anal Behav. 1972 Jul;18(1):119–127. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • Sanders RM. Concurrent fixed-ratio fixed-interval performances in adult human subjects. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Jul;12(4):601–604. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • Scobie SR, Kaufman A. Intermittent punishment of human responding maintained by intermittent reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Jan;12(1):137–147. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • Schroeder SR. Parametric effects of reinforcement frequency, amount of reinforcement, and required response force on sheltered workshop behavior. J Appl Behav Anal. 1972 Winter;5(4):431–441. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • WEINER H. Some effects of response cost upon human operant behavior. J Exp Anal Behav. 1962 Apr;5:201–208. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • Weiner H. Conditioning history and the control of human avoidance and escape responding. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Nov;12(6):1039–1043. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • Weiner H. Instructional control of human operant responding during extinction following fixed-ratio conditioning. J Exp Anal Behav. 1970 May;13(3):391–394. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
Articles from Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior are provided here courtesy of
Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

PubMed articles by these authors

Links
You are here: NCBI > Literature > PubMed Central
Write to the Help Desk