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PubMed1979

Partial reinforcement in human biofeedback learning.

This paper reviews the evidence for the efficacy of partial reinforcement in producing resistance to extinction in human biofeedback experiments. The methodological criteria necessary to demonstrate such effects are discussed, as is the status of the analogy of reinforcement and information feedback. It is suggested that the problem of maintaining responding in the absence of feedback should be tackled empirically rather than assuming the validity of findings from other areas of learning theory.

Biofeedback, Psychology↗
PubMed1987

Amygdalectomy and disconnection in visual learning for auditory secondary reinforcement by monkeys.

Nine monkeys in 3 groups took part in an experiment on visual discrimination learning set in an automatic apparatus. Each new visual discrimination problem was solved using auditory secondary reinforcers. Primary food reinforcement was delivered only after a new problem had been solved to a criterion, and the problem was then replaced by a new one; thus, within-problem learning relied purely on secondary and not on primary reinforcement, but the secondary reinforcers were associated with primary reinforcement. Bilateral amygdalectomy severely retarded within-problem learning. Disconnection of the amygdala from auditory input, by crossed unilateral lesions of amygdala and of auditory cortex combined with forebrain commissurotomy, had a similar effect to that of bilateral amygdalectomy. Disconnection of the amygdala from visual association cortex left learning unimpaired. Thus, for normal performance in this task, interaction of the amygdala with the sensory modality of the secondary reinforcer was essential, but interaction of the amygdala with the sensory modality of the discriminative stimuli was not necessary. It was concluded that the amygdala is involved in associating stimuli with the primary reinforcing attributes of food reward, and not with its other attributes.

Amygdala↗
PubMed2005

Interval time-place learning by rats: varying reinforcement contingencies.

Two experiments with rats were conducted to study interval time-place learning when the spatiotemporal contingencies of food availability were more similar to those likely to be encountered in natural environments, than those employed in prior research. In Experiment 1, food was always available on three levers on a variable ratio (VR) 35 schedule. A VR8 schedule was in effect on Lever 1 for 5 min, then on Lever 2 for 5 min, and so forth. While rats learned to restrict the majority of their responding to the lever that provided the highest density of reinforcement, they seemed to rely on a win-stay/lose-shift strategy rather than a timing strategy. In Experiment 2, the four levers provided food on variable ratios of 15, 8, 15, and 30, each for 3 min. As expected the rats learned these contingencies. A novel finding was that the rats had a spike in response rate immediately following a change from a higher to lower reinforcement density. It is concluded that rats exposed to spatiotemporal contingencies behave so as to maximize the rate of obtained reinforcement.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Response-reinforcer relationships and improved learning in autistic children.

In order to affect more rapid response acquisition for autistic children, researchers have recently begun to investigate the functional relationships of reinforcers to other components of the operant conditioning paradigm. Previous research suggested that functional relationships between target behaviors and reinforcers might be especially effective. For example, locating a reward inside a container might be a more efficient way to teach a child to open the container than by handling the child a reward for opening an empty container. The present experiment assessed, within a multiple baseline design, the possibility of improving autistic children's learning by changing arbitrary response-reinforcer relationships (while holding target behaviors and reinforcers constant) so that the target behaviors became functional (i.e., a direct part of the response chain required for the child to procure the reinforcer). The results showed that: (1) arranging functional response-reinforcer relationships produced immediate improvement in the children's learning, and resulted in rapid acquisition of criterion level responding; and (2) high levels of correct responding initially produced by functional response-reinforcer relationships were continued even when previously ineffective arbitrary response-reinforcer conditions were reinstated. The results are discussed in terms of understanding and improving autistic children's learning.

Autistic Disorder↗