Preratio pausing: effects of an alternative reinforcer on fixed- and variable-ratio responding.
Alternative reinforcers in the room lengthen preratio pauses—check for competing reinforcers when clients stall.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Derenne et al. (2002) asked a simple question. What happens to pausing when something else the learner likes is right there?
They used fixed-ratio and variable-ratio schedules. While the ratio ran, a saccharin tube sat next to the water spout. Higher saccharin meant sweeter competition.
They watched how long the subject waited before starting each ratio.
What they found
More saccharin made the pause longer. This happened on both fixed-ratio and variable-ratio schedules.
In plain words, a tasty side option slows the start of work.
How this fits with other research
Vaughan (1985) saw the same saccharin trick cut phencyclidine self-administration. Both studies show that an alternative reinforcer pulls behavior away from the main task.
Zimmerman (1969) found that bigger food reinforcers shorten the post-reinforcement pause. Derenne et al. (2002) show the opposite: an alternative reinforcer lengthens the pause. Together they map a seesaw—reinforcer variables can speed or slow the start of the next ratio.
Young et al. (2017) extend the idea. They showed that simply signaling a bigger reinforcer coming up also lengthens the pause. The pause is not just about the last reinforcer; it is about the whole context of what is available or coming next.
Why it matters
When a client takes forever to start a task, look around. Is there a phone, snack, or favorite toy within reach? Those are alternative reinforcers. You can shorten the pause by removing or delaying them, or by making the work reinforcer richer. Try giving a tiny sip of a preferred drink only after the first response. The pause should shrink within a session or two.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Seven rats responding under fixed-ratio or variable-ratio schedules of food reinforcement had continuous access to a drinking tube inserted into the operant chamber. Under different conditions they could drink either tap water or one of two saccharin solutions. In a baseline condition, the drinking bottle was empty. Preratio pausing was observed with both schedules, more so with the fixed-ratio than the variable-ratio schedule, and increasing the concentration of the saccharin solution increased the duration of pausing. Comparisons with baseline performances revealed that the additional pausing was largely, but not entirely, spent drinking. The results support the view that pausing under ratio schedules is a consequence of competition between the scheduled reinforcer and alternative reinforcers that also are available within the experimental environment.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 2002 · doi:10.1901/jeab.2002.77-273