Temporal variables as determinants of the post-reinforcement pause

Abstract

Steady-state performance under both, Fixed-ratio and Fixed-interval reinforcement schedules generate a similar response pattern: a period with few or no responses, called postreinforcement pause (PRP), proportional to the interreinforcement interval (IRI). Because of this relationship, the IRI was considered as the determinant of the PRP, but the possibility exists that work time or delay to reinforcer are also involved. However, these variables are usually correlated, thus difficulting the evaluation of their relative contribution on the determination of the pause. To partially solve this problem, in the present experiment the contribution of the IRI and the reinforcer delay on the size of the pause was evaluated with a yoked procedure using Chained FR1-FTx and Conjunctive FR1-FTx reinforcement schedules. Results indicated that both IRI and delay to reinforcer were good predictors of the PRP value in steady state, and that the PRP in the Conjunctive schedule was temporally determined.