Psychology ETDs

Publication Date

7-27-1976

Abstract

The differential-reinforcement-of-other-behavior procedure (DRO) was investigated in the context of discrete trials to determine the extent to which it would reduce the key pecking of pigeons. The DRO procedure was compared to discrete-trials omission (DTO), discrete-trials extinction (DTE), an extinction procedure in which a response reset the trial period (REE), and a positive response-contingency control group (RCR). At the end of the response-elimination phase, all groups were exposed to response-independent reinforcement to assess the durability of the response-elimination procedures. Two measures, mean relative response rate and percentage of trials containing a peck, were used to assess performance.

All response-elimination procedures differed from the RCR group in relative response rate and percentage of trials with a peck. There were no significant differences between any of the response-elimination groups in relative response rate at the end of training. However, the REE group consistently resulted in the most reduction in relative rate across sessions, while the DTO group resulted in the least. The order of groups with respect to trials with a peck was related to procedural class. Elimination with reinforcement, DRO and DTO, produced a lesser reduction than the extinction procedures, REE and DTE. On the other hand, elimination with reinforcement was more durable than extinction.

Degree Name

Psychology

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Psychology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Douglas Peter Ferraro

Second Committee Member

Joseph Anthony Parsons

Third Committee Member

John Paul Gluck Jr.

Fourth Committee Member

G. Robert Grice

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

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