Reinforcement of eye movement with concurrent schedules.

Schroeder et al. (1969) asked adults to move their eyes between two spots on a screen.

Each spot paid points on its own variable-interval schedule. A 3-s changeover delay stopped rapid switching.

The team tracked where the eyes went and for how long.

Eye time matched the pay rates. More points on the left meant more gaze time on the left.

The delay cut crossover glances. People stayed on the richer side longer.

Frederiksen et al. (1978) saw the same matching in rats that pressed levers to avoid shocks. The law holds across species and reinforcers.

Ohan et al. (2015) later used quiet-eye training to help clumsy kids catch balls. Eye shaping moved from lab trick to real skill.

Tiadi et al. (2014) seems to disagree. They found dyslexic children make slower, wonky vertical eye jumps. The key difference: the 1969 adults were neurotypical and reinforcement was available; the 2014 kids had dyslexia and no reinforcement program. Eye movements can be taught, but baseline deficits must be checked first.

If you run vision or reading programs, think in concurrent schedules. Reinforce looking at the text with fast praise or tokens. Add a short changeover delay so the learner sticks with the page instead of flicking around. The same rule that shaped eye position in 1969 can build longer looks at flashcards, books, or safety signs today.