Date of Graduation

2003

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

The effects of reinforcer magnitude, response requirement, and prior experience on choices in say-do correspondence were assessed in three experiments. In each of the experiments, correspondence was trained on red, green, and white key colors using Lattal and Doepke's (2001) homologue of correspondence. In Experiment 1, the duration of food presentations following correspondence on each key color was manipulated across conditions. As the duration of food presentation increased (e.g., from 3 s to 6 s), the number of say responses on that key color increased and, as the duration of food presentation decreased (e.g., from 3 s to 1 s), the number of say responses on that key color decreased. In Experiment 2, the number of key pecks required for the say response on each key color was manipulated across conditions. The greatest number of say responses occurred on the key color correlated with the smallest key-peck requirement (fixed-ratio 5) and relatively fewer say responses occurred on the key colors correlated with larger key-peck requirements (fixed-ratio 20 or 25). In Experiment 3, pigeons were exposed either to a concurrent schedule or a discrete-trials procedure prior to the correspondence procedure. The probability of reinforcement on each key color under the concurrent schedule or discrete-trials procedure was manipulated across conditions. Say responding in the correspondence procedure was not affected by the differential reinforcement of key pecking on each key color under these prior schedules. In each experiment, correspondence accuracy remained stable across conditions, indicating that manipulation of reinforcer magnitudes and response requirements might be effective ways to alter say choices in applied settings without disrupting overall correspondence.

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