Aftereffects of reinforcement on variable-ratio schedules

Abstract

On each of variable-ratio 10, 40, and 80 schedules of reinforcement, when rats' lever-pressing rates were stable, the concentration of a liquid reinforcer was varied within sessions. The duration of the postreinforcement pause was an increasing function of the reinforcer concentration, this effect being more marked the higher the schedule parameter. The running rate, calculated by excluding the postreinforcement pause, was unaffected by concentration. The duration of the postreinforcement pause increased with the schedule parameter, but the proportion of the interreinforcement interval taken up by the pause decreased. Consequently, the overall response rate was an increasing function of the schedule parameter; i.e., it was inversely related to reinforcement frequency, contrary to the law of effect. The running rate, however, decreased with the reinforcement frequency, in accord with the law of effect. When 50% of reinforcements were randomly omitted, the postomission pause was shorter than the postreinforcement pause, but the running rate of responses was not affected.