Mazur J E
Psychology Department, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut 06515, USA.
J Exp Anal Behav. 1996 Jul;66(1):63-73. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1996.66-63.
A discrete-trials adjusting-delay procedure was used to investigate the conditions under which pigeons might show a preference for partial reinforcement over 100% reinforcement, an effect reported in a number of previous experiments. A peck on a red key always led to a delay with red houselights and then food. In each condition, the duration of the red-houselight delay was adjusted to estimate an indifference point. In 100% reinforcement conditions, a peck on a green key always led to a delay with green houselights and then food. In partial-reinforcement conditions, a peck on the green key led either to the green houselights and food or to white houselights and no food. In some phases of the experiment, statistically significant preference for partial reinforcement over 100% reinforcement was found, but this effect was observed in only about half of the pigeons. The effect was largely eliminated when variability in the delay stimulus colors was equated for 50% reinforcement conditions and 100% reinforcement conditions. Idiosyncratic preferences for certain colors or for stimulus variability may be at least partially responsible for the effect.
采用离散试验调整延迟程序来研究鸽子在何种条件下可能表现出对部分强化的偏好超过100%强化，这一效应在之前的一些实验中已有报道。啄红色按键总会导致红色饲养灯光亮起延迟，随后给予食物。在每种条件下，调整红色饲养灯光延迟的时长以估计无差异点。在100%强化条件下，啄绿色按键总会导致绿色饲养灯光亮起延迟，随后给予食物。在部分强化条件下，啄绿色按键要么导致绿色饲养灯光亮起并给予食物，要么导致白色饲养灯光亮起且不给食物。在实验的某些阶段，发现鸽子对部分强化的偏好超过100%强化具有统计学显著性，但这种效应仅在约一半的鸽子中观察到。当50%强化条件和100%强化条件下延迟刺激颜色的变异性相等时，这种效应在很大程度上被消除。对某些颜色或刺激变异性的特殊偏好可能至少部分导致了这一效应。
