Abstract
Trial-to-trial effects of reinforcement and nonreinforcement were studied in 48 children during a simple motor task. In the absence of information regarding the availability of reinforcement during each trial, Ss responded more rapidly after a reinforced trial than after a nonreinforced trial. In the presence of a signal providing information regarding the availability of reinforcement during each trial, Ss responded more rapidly before an expected reinforcement than before an expected nonreinforcement.
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This research was supported in part by Contract B89-4613 from the Office of Economic Opportunity to M. M. Shapiro, J. L. Bresnahan, and I. J. Knopf. The research was submitted by J. P. Hilliard, under the direction of J. L. Bresnahan, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the BA degree from Emory University.
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Bresnahan, J.L., Hillard, J.P. & Shapiro, M.M. Reinforcement in children: Received and expected. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 2, 195–197 (1973). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329242
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329242