PROBABILITY LEARNING AS A FUNCTION OF MOMENTARY REINFORCEMENT PROBABILITY

Pigeons were trained on a probability learning task where the overall reinforcement probability was 0.50 for each response alternative but where the momentary reinforcement probability differed and depended upon the outcome of the preceding trial. In all cases, the maximum reinforcement occurred wit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of the experimental analysis of behavior Vol. 17; no. 3; pp. 363 - 368
Main Author Williams, Ben A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.1972
Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
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Summary:Pigeons were trained on a probability learning task where the overall reinforcement probability was 0.50 for each response alternative but where the momentary reinforcement probability differed and depended upon the outcome of the preceding trial. In all cases, the maximum reinforcement occurred with a "win-stay, lose-shift" response pattern. When both position and color were relevant cues, the optimal response pattern was learned when the reinforcement probability for repeating the just-reinforced response was 0.80 but not when the probability was 0.65. When only color was relevant, learning occurred much more slowly, and only for subjects trained on large fixed ratio requirements.
Bibliography:istex:FC23E0505DB842F884726295A953A05390CD3C0F
This experiment was conducted when the author was a National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellow and was supported by research grants NIMH 15494 and NIH-GM-15258 to Harvard University.
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This experiment was conducted when the author was a National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellow and was supported by research grants NIMH 15494 and NIH-GM-15258 to Harvard University. Reprints may be obtained from the author, Department of Psychology, The Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903.
ISSN:0022-5002
1938-3711
DOI:10.1901/jeab.1972.17-363