Cole M R
Huron College, London, Ontario, Canada.
J Exp Anal Behav. 1990 Mar;53(2):247-61. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1990.53-247.
In the first of four experiments, rats were exposed to a modified multiple continuous reinforcement-extinction schedule during 15-min daily sessions. In one condition (saves condition) with the cuelight on, a single lever press produced a food pellet, briefly extinguished the cuelight, and started a clock. Saves (additional lever presses with interresponse times less than 1 s) produced an additional food pellet, briefly extinguished the cuelight, and restarted the interresponse time clock. The cuelight was extinguished 1 s after the last lever press and remained off during a 10-s period of extinction, during which no food pellets were delivered. In the other condition (savings account condition), the contingencies were the same except that the cuelight was extinguished and was not reilluminated after the initial lever press, and the delivery of all food pellets in the reinforcement component was delayed until the onset of extinction. In both conditions, rats made saves, but mean saves (total saves divided by the number of reinforcement components) were slightly reduced in the savings account condition. In Experiment 2, using six equally spaced 15-min sessions per day on alternate days, saves were either followed immediately with food and brief cuelight offset (saves condition) or were not reinforced at all. Mean saves were much greater when saves were reinforced. In Experiment 3, during 5-min daily sessions, saves earned a single pellet (savings account condition) or a number of pellets equal to the ordinal number of the lever press (interest condition). Rats made fewer mean saves, with little change in the food rate, when saves earned interest. In Experiment 4, the rats earned all their food in the operant situation during 24 daily 5-min sessions, these separated by 55-min intersession intervals during which no food was available; otherwise, the conditions were the same as in Experiment 3. In Experiment 4, the shift to interest for saves led to an increase in mean daily mean saves (total daily mean saves divided by the number of daily sessions) as well as to an increase in the number of food pellets delivered in each session. The results are discussed in terms of self-control and behavioral economics.
在四项实验的第一项中，大鼠在每天15分钟的实验时段内接受一种改良的多重连续强化-消退程序。在一种条件下（储蓄条件），当提示灯亮起时，单次按压杠杆会产生一粒食物丸，提示灯短暂熄灭，并启动一个时钟。储蓄（两次反应间隔时间小于1秒的额外杠杆按压）会产生额外一粒食物丸，提示灯短暂熄灭，并重新启动反应间隔时间时钟。在最后一次杠杆按压后1秒提示灯熄灭，并在10秒的消退期内保持熄灭状态，在此期间不发放食物丸。在另一种条件下（储蓄账户条件），意外情况相同，只是提示灯在最初的杠杆按压后熄灭且不再重新亮起，并且强化部分的所有食物丸发放都延迟到消退期开始。在两种条件下，大鼠都会进行储蓄，但储蓄账户条件下的平均储蓄量（总储蓄量除以强化部分的数量）略有减少。在实验2中，每天交替进行六个等间隔的15分钟实验时段，储蓄行为要么紧接着给予食物并短暂熄灭提示灯（储蓄条件），要么根本不给予强化。当储蓄行为得到强化时，平均储蓄量要大得多。在实验3中，在每天5分钟的实验时段内，储蓄行为要么获得一粒食物丸（储蓄账户条件），要么获得与杠杆按压序数相等数量的食物丸（利息条件）。当储蓄行为获得利息时，大鼠的平均储蓄量减少，食物发放率变化不大。在实验4中，大鼠在每天24个5分钟的操作情境中获取所有食物，这些实验时段之间间隔55分钟，在此期间没有食物供应；否则，条件与实验3相同。在实验4中，储蓄行为转变为获取利息导致平均每日储蓄量（每日总平均储蓄量除以每日实验时段数量）增加，以及每个实验时段发放的食物丸数量增加。从自我控制和行为经济学的角度对结果进行了讨论。
