"Temporal Discrimination and a Free-Operant Psychophysical Procedure " by D. Alan Stubbs

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Document Type

Article

Title

Temporal Discrimination and a Free-Operant Psychophysical Procedure

Authors

D. Alan Stubbs, University of Maine

Publication Title

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

Rights and Access Note

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Publication Date

1980

First Page

167

Last Page

185

Issue Number

Volume Number

Abstract/ Summary

Pigeons were presented a series of keylight time periods (separated by blackouts) during which two response keys were lit, one by blue light and the other either by orange or green. Blue-key responses changed the color on the other key. Orange-key responses sometimes produced food during the first half of a time period; green-key responses sometimes produced food during the second half. In three experiments, the probability of a green-key response increased as a function of elapsed time. Experiment 1 compared performance when the duration of the keylight periods was varied across a wide range. Discrimination performance was similar across the range of durations. Experiment 2 varied both relative reinforcement rate and the local reinforcement rate for orange-key and green-key responses. These manipulations produced changes in response bias but not discrimination sensitivity. Experiment 3 varied the local temporal placement of reinforcers within time periods and demonstrated that choice behavior was affected by differential reinforcement at different points during the time periods. The results were consistent with previous research on duration discrimination that used psychophysical trials procedures.

Repository Citation

Stubbs, D. Alan, "Temporal Discrimination and a Free-Operant Psychophysical Procedure" (1980). Psychology Faculty Scholarship. 35.
https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/psy_facpub/35

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Stubbs DA. Temporal discrimination and a free-operant psychophysical procedure. J Exp Anal Behav. 1980 Mar;33(2):167-85. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1980.33-167. PMID: 7365406; PMCID: PMC1332926.