J Exp Anal Behav. 1994 Nov;62(3):385-97. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1994.62-385.
Pigeons were trained on a concurrent-chains schedule. The initial links were concurrent variable-interval schedules arranged on two side keys. Each terminal link was a fixed-interval schedule arranged on the center key. In cued conditions, different center-key colors signaled the two terminal-link schedules. In uncued conditions, the same center-key color appeared for both terminal links. Experiment 1 arranged unequal initial links and equal terminal links. Preference for the shorter initial-link schedule was greater when the terminal links were uncued. Experiment 2 arranged equal initial links and unequal terminal links. Preference for the shorter terminal-link schedule was greater when the terminal links were cued. Although the results of Experiment 2 successfully replicated previous research, the results of Experiment 1 are not easily reconciled with conditioned-reinforcement or discriminative-stimulus accounts of the role of terminal-link cues. Rather, terminal-link cues appear to decrease sensitivity to initial-link contingencies.
鸽子在同时链定 schedule 中进行训练。最初的环节是安排在两个侧键上的并发变量间隔 schedule。每个终端环节都是安排在中心键上的固定间隔 schedule。在提示条件下,不同的中心键颜色信号表示两个终端环节 schedule。在无提示条件下,两个终端环节使用相同的中心键颜色。实验 1 安排了不等的初始环节和相等的终端环节。当终端环节无提示时,对较短初始环节 schedule 的偏好更大。实验 2 安排了相等的初始环节和不等的终端环节。当终端环节有提示时,对较短终端环节 schedule 的偏好更大。尽管实验 2 的结果成功复制了以前的研究,但实验 1 的结果与终端环节提示在条件强化或辨别刺激方面的作用不容易协调。相反,终端环节提示似乎降低了对初始环节条件的敏感性。