The effects of a pre-time-out stimulus on matching-to-sample of humans

Timeout and concurrent fixed-ratio schedules with human subjects

Human subjects given choices among 10 different pairs of concurrent fixed-ratio schedules preferred the smaller ratio. After a preference had been determined, timeout of increasing duration followed the completion of the preferred schedule. The larger the fixed-ratio difference, the longer the timeout necessary to produce the shift to the previously nonpreferred ratio. Responses by two of three subjects were unaffected by changes from response-dependent to response-independent pay.

Function of intertrial interval in matching-to-sample

Twelve pigeons were trained on matching-to-sample using either a 0-, 5-, 15-, 25-, or 60-sec intertrial interval. Eight of these 12 pigeons were given one of the following intertrial interval changes: 0 to 60, 0 to 5, 5 to 0, 60 to 0, 15 to 25, 5 to 15, 60 to 5, 5 to 1, 1 to 5, 1 to 25, and 25 to 1 sec. Most intertrial interval changes were repeated at least once. The 0-sec intertrial interval subjects failed to match beyond chance levels, while other intertrial interval values resulted in matching acquisition. Changes from 0 sec to other intertrial interval values increased and changes to 0 sec decreased matching performance. Changes to intertrial interval values other than 0 sec resulted in little change in matching accuracy once stable performance had been attained.

Timeout as a punishing stimulus in continuous and intermittent schedules

The effectiveness of a brief period of isolation (timeout) in the control of disruptive behavior emitted by a retarded child in a preschool classroom setting was examined. Timeout was shown to be an effective punishing stimulus, and its control of the child's disruptive behavior was investigated under four schedules of intermittent timeout. The results suggest that as a larger percentage of responses were punished, a greater decrease in the frequency of that response occurred. This inverse relationship between the percentage of responses punished and the frequency of the response did not appear to be linear, but rather a non-linear function. This function suggests that some schedules of intermittent punishment may be as effective as continuous punishment, at least in the case of the continued suppression of a response that has already been reduced to a low frequency.

Self-imposed timeouts under increasing response requirements

Self-imposed timeouts by pigeons working under a progressive-ratio food schedule were studied under different conditions. The main findings were (1) continued production of timeouts over an extended series of sessions, (2) more frequent responding on the key with the timeout consequence than on a key having no consequence, (3) an inverse relationship between number of timeouts and level of body weight, (4) production of timeouts when the timeout duration was brief, lengthy, or controlled by the pigeon, and (5) dependence of self-imposed timeouts on variables controlling responding under the progressive-ratio schedule. Under all experimental conditions, with the exception of performances at the high body weight, timeouts were more frequent during the longer progressive-ratio steps and usually were localized in the post-reinforcement pause or the early part of the step. The timeout behavior could be interpreted as either an escape from aversive stimuli generated by the progressive-ratio schedule or as a response reinforced by the consequent stimulus change.

On the status of knowledge for using punishment implications for treating behavior disorders

In this paper, we review basic and applied findings on punishment and discuss the importance of conducting further research in this area. The characteristics of responding during punishment and numerous factors that interact with basic processes are delineated in conjunction with implications for the treatment of behavior disorders in clinical populations. We conclude that further understanding of punishment processes is needed to develop a highly systematic, effective technology of behavior change, including strategies for improving the efficacy of less intrusive procedures and for successfully fading treatment.

Fixed-ratio and fixed-interval schedule control of matching-to-sample errors by children

Nine children, ages 4 through 7 yr, matched-to-sample on fixed-ratio, fixed-interval, variable-ratio, and variable-interval schedules of reinforcement. Simultaneous, zero-delay, and 2-sec delay matching were employed. Distributions of errors, in which the greatest number of errors occurred at the ordinal position immediately after reinforcement with fewer errors occurring at subsequent positions in the ratio, were produced by six of six children on fixed-ratio schedules for zero-delay and both of two children for 2-sec delay matching. Only two children of seven produced similar error distributions on simultaneous matching for fixed-ratio reinforcement. Variable-ratio schedules produced slightly lower accuracy for most subjects and no systematic error patterns for any subject. Error distributions occurred for all of the five children who experienced fixed-interval schedules for zero-delay matching. Peak error production occurred in the second fourth of the interval. Similar patterns were not produced on variable-interval schedules of equal reinforcement density. Schedule control of complex discriminated operants in children resembles control over similar responses of nonhuman animals.

Effects of stimulus compounding and time-out on conditional matching performance

72 college Ss were given 50 training and 20 test trials on a conditional matching task in which the color of the comparison stimuli served as the conditional cue. Comparison stimuli were presented either in runs of 1, runs of 5, or at random. All Ss received continuous reinforcement for correct responses and half received a 30-sec. TO after every incorrect response. Results showed that performance early in training was significantly higher under stimulus-compounding but that random presentation produced significantly better performance on test trials. While not significant, punishment (TO) facilitated performance under random presentation more than when stimulus-compounding was employed.

Fixed-ratio punishment by timeout of concurrent variable-interval behavior

Pigeons' responding was maintained by two concurrently available variable-interval reinforcement schedules. A fixed-ratio punishment schedule of timeout periods from the concurrent reinforcement schedules was arranged for responding during one of the variable-interval schedules. The greater the probability of a timeout after a response on the punished variable-interval schedule (the smaller the fixed ratio that produced timeout), the greater the decline in the relative punished response rates. Relative reinforcement rates remained invariant when relative response rates declined. Both behavioral contrast and induction effects were observed on the unpunished variable-interval schedule as a function of timeout punishment of the other schedule.