Each participant was asked to choose between his small immediate (one bite-size Snickers[R]/ Starburst[R]) and a large delayed
reinforcer (two Snickers[R]/ Starbursts[R]).
The forced choice method produced more differentiated rankings, however, the items identified as preferred in the SSE procedure also served as
reinforcers when assessed via a
reinforcer assessment.
We recorded orientation to the correct monitor before the appearance of a secondary
reinforcer and latency to respond during the initial 7.5 seconds of dot movement.
This new type of learning, identified as the acquisition of conditioned
reinforcers by observation, can be defined as the acquisition of reinforcing properties of previously neutral stimuli as a function of observation (Greer et al., 2006; Greer & Singer-Dudek, 2008).
We used a stimulus-stimulus pairing procedure (Catania, 2012) to condition the sound of the clicker as a
reinforcer by pairing the sound of the click with access to a talking calculator, which was Bill's most highly preferred item.
The relative lack of effect of the SSP stimulus as a conditioned
reinforcer may be an example of blocking (Kamin, 1969; vom Saal & Jenkins, 1970), or overshadowing (Rescorla & Wagner, 1972).
Furthermore, in all the cited studies about varied versus constant reinforcement only primary
reinforcers (different edible stimuli) were used, therefore, in the present study we used visual conditioned
reinforcers, pairing all of them with the same kind of food, so that a hypothetical differential effect due to the varied (or constant) reinforcement could not be explained in terms of satiation with regard to the primary
reinforcer.
The
reinforcer rates, higher for groups exposed to S1 with high probability than for those exposed to S1 with low probability, suggest another source of control.
8 September 2015 - The UK and Ireland division of Tyman Plc (LON: TYMN), a supplier of components to the door and window industry, has sold its steel
reinforcer business, EWS, to Arc Specialist Engineering Ltd.