A Comparison of Response Patterns on Fixed‐, Variable‐, and Random‐ratio Schedules

Crossman, Edward K.; Bonem, Elliott J.; Phelps, Brady J.

doi:10.1901/jeab.1987.48-395

Cited by 20 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The patterns of cooperative responding found in the present study were similar to the characteristic patterns generated by ratio schedules in individual organisms (e.g., Crossman et al, ; Felton & Lyon, ; Powell, ). This finding may suggest that similar variables controlled the social unit.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Cooperative responding in rats maintained by fixed‐ and variable‐ratio schedules

Carvalho

Santos

Regaço

et al. 2018

J Exper Analysis Behavior

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The present study investigated the effects of fixed-ratio (FR) and variable-ratio (VR) reinforcement schedules on patterns of cooperative responding in pairs of rats. Experiment 1 arranged FR 1, FR 10, and VR 10 schedules to establish cooperative responding (water delivery depended on the joint responding of two rats). Cooperative response rates and proportions were higher under intermittent schedules than under continuous reinforcement. The FR 10 schedule generated a break-and-run pattern, whereas the VR 10 schedule generated a relatively high and constant rate pattern. Experiment 2 evaluated the effects of parametric manipulations of FR and VR schedules on cooperative responding. Rates and proportions of cooperative responding generally increased between ratio sizes of 1 and 5 but showed no consistent trend as the ratio increased from 5 to 10. Experiment 3 contrasted cooperative responding between an FR6 schedule and a yoked control schedule. Coordinated behavior occurred at a higher rate under the former schedule. The present study showed that external consequences and the schedules under which the delivery of these consequences are based, select patterns of coordinated behavior.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Cooperative responding in rats maintained by fixed‐ and variable‐ratio schedules

Carvalho

Santos

Regaço

et al. 2018

J Exper Analysis Behavior

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show abstract

“…Under these conditions, Mazur (1983) reported no effect of ratio schedule type (FR, RR, or mixed schedules ranging from 10 to 80) on the overall response rates of rats. Consistent with these findings, Crossman, Bonem, and Phelps (1987) found no consistent differences in pigeons' overall response rates maintained by FR and RR schedules ranging from 5 to 80.…”

mentioning

confidence: 59%

Labor Supply and Consumption of Food in a Closed Economy Under a Range of Fixed- And Random-Ratio Schedules: Tests of Unit Price

Madden

Dake

Mauel

et al. 2005

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

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The behavioral economic concept of unit price predicts that consumption and response output (labor supply) are determined by the unit price at which a good is available regardless of the value of the cost and benefit components of the unit price ratio. Experiment 1 assessed 4 pigeons' consumption and response output at a range of unit prices. In one condition, food was available according to a range of fixed-ratio schedules, whereas in the other condition, food was available according to a range of random-ratio schedules. Consistent with unit price predictions, consumption and response output were approximately equivalent across schedule types within the lower range of unit prices. However, at Unit Prices 64 (ratio value ϭ 192) and greater, considerably more consumption and response output were observed in the random-ratio condition. Experiment 2 replicated these findings with 4 pigeons using the rapid demand curve assay procedure that is commonly used in the behavioral economics literature. Findings are integrated with two mathematical models of behavior under variable reinforcer delays.

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“…We are not aware of any evidence that this procedural difference is critical to the issues at hand. Crossman, Bonem, and Phelps () and Hurlburt, Knapp, and Knowles () did not find performance differences between random and variable schedule types.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Concurrent variable‐interval variable‐ratio schedules in a dynamic choice environment

Bell

Baum

2017

J Exper Analysis Behavior

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Most studies of operant choice have focused on presenting subjects with a fixed pair of schedules across many experimental sessions. Using these methods, studies of concurrent variable- interval variable-ratio schedules helped to evaluate theories of choice. More recently, a growing literature has focused on dynamic choice behavior. Those dynamic choice studies have analyzed behavior on a number of different time scales using concurrent variable-interval schedules. Following the dynamic choice approach, the present experiment examined performance on concurrent variable-interval variable-ratio schedules in a rapidly changing environment. Our objectives were to compare performance on concurrent variable-interval variable-ratio schedules with extant data on concurrent variable-interval variable-interval schedules using a dynamic choice procedure and to extend earlier work on concurrent variable-interval variable-ratio schedules. We analyzed performances at different time scales, finding strong similarities between concurrent variable-interval variable-interval and concurrent variable-interval variable- ratio performance within dynamic choice procedures. Time-based measures revealed almost identical performance in the two procedures compared with response-based measures, supporting the view that choice is best understood as time allocation. Performance at the smaller time scale of visits accorded with the tendency seen in earlier research toward developing a pattern of strong preference for and long visits to the richer alternative paired with brief "samples" at the leaner alternative ("fix and sample").

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A Comparison of Response Patterns on Fixed‐, Variable‐, and Random‐ratio Schedules

Cited by 20 publications

References 11 publications

Cooperative responding in rats maintained by fixed‐ and variable‐ratio schedules

Cooperative responding in rats maintained by fixed‐ and variable‐ratio schedules

Labor Supply and Consumption of Food in a Closed Economy Under a Range of Fixed- And Random-Ratio Schedules: Tests of Unit Price

Concurrent variable‐interval variable‐ratio schedules in a dynamic choice environment

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