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J Exp Anal Behav. 1996 March; 65(2): 389–399.
doi: 10.1901/jeab.1996.65-389.
PMCID: PMC1350154
Differences in the effect of Pavlovian contingencies upon behavioral momentum using auditory versus visual stimuli.
B C Mauro and F C Mace
University of Pennsylvania, USA.
Abstract
We examined the role of Pavlovian and operant relations in behavioral momentum by arranging response-contingent alternative reinforcement in one component of a three-component multiple concurrent schedule with rats. This permitted the simultaneous arranging of different response-reinforcer (operant) and stimulus-reinforcer (Pavlovian) contingencies during three baseline conditions. Auditory or visual stimuli were used as discriminative stimuli within the multiple concurrent schedules. Resistance to change of a target response was assessed during a single session of extinction following each baseline condition. The rate of the target response during baseline varied inversely with the rate of response-contingent reinforcement derived from a concurrent source, regardless of whether the discriminative stimuli were auditory or visual. Resistance to change of the target response, however, did depend on the discriminative-stimulus modality. Resistance to change in the presence of visual stimuli was a positive function of the Pavlovian contingencies, whereas resistance to change was unrelated to either the operant or Pavlovian contingencies when the discriminative stimuli were auditory. Stimulus salience may be a factor in determining the differences in resistance to change across sensory modalities.
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Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
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