RATE-CHANGE EFFECTS WITH EQUAL POTENTIAL REINFORCEMENTS DURING THE "WARNING" STIMULUS.
A short warning cue that signals leaner reinforcement can instantly boost response rate even when no extra payoff is given.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team added a short "warning" light before each schedule change. The light never gave food itself. It only said "get ready, the next stretch will pay either more food or less food."
They kept the total food the same across tests. The only thing that changed was what the warning light predicted.
What they found
Animals sped up their responses when the warning meant "lean times ahead." The same light slowed little or did nothing when it meant "rich times ahead."
In plain words, a signal for less future payoff made the subjects work harder right now.
How this fits with other research
STEBBINROSS et al. (1962) already showed that thicker schedules make animals respond faster overall. The 1963 warning study flips the lens: it shows momentary surges, not just steady rates.
Lejuez et al. (2001) later repeated the rate idea with humans who have severe ID. They found higher reinforcer rates create stronger "behavioral momentum." The warning study is the seed for that later work.
Nevin et al. (2005) looked at conditioned reinforcers and saw higher observing rates but not always higher resistance to change. Their mixed result lines up with the 1963 finding: rate can jump even when long-term strength stays flat.
Why it matters
You can use brief cues to tweak energy right before a tough or lean session. A 3-second card, beep, or phrase that signals "next few trials pay less" can spark a quick burst of responding without adding extra reinforcers. Try it when you thin a schedule or move from continuous to variable reinforcement.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Two pre-schedule-change stimuli were superimposed on the same VI baseline and were thereby equated with respect to reinforcement potential. One such stimulus preceded a transition to an extinction schedule or a VI schedule of lower reinforcement frequency while the other preceded a transition to a VI schedule of higher reinforcement frequency. It was found that response rate during the warning stimulus was greater preceding the transition to the lower reinforcement frequency than it was preceding the transition to the higher reinforcement frequency. That difference was often evidenced by an absolute increase and decrease in rate, in conformity with previous findings on the topic. The present experiment extends previous findings in several ways, including the presentation of quantitative estimates of the effects.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 1963 · doi:10.1901/jeab.1963.6-557