Abstract
Pigeon’s keypecking was reinforced on a multiple fixed-ratio schedule. All three components were fixed ratio 60; a 10-sec time-out regularly appeared after the tenth response in one component and after the fiftieth response in another. Pause duration was shortest with no time-out, longest with the time-out late in the ratio. In time-out components, response rate was low preceding the timeout, high immediately following it. The total time from rsponse initiation to subsequent reinforcement was highly predictive of pause duration. Immediate repetition of a component generally produces shorter pausing than when it was preceded by a different component.
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This research was supported in part by a Grant from The City University of New York Faculty Research Award Program.
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Barowsky, E.I., Mintz, D.E. The effects of time-out locus during fixed-ratio reinforcement. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 5, 137–139 (1975). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333226
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333226