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PubMed2002

Observing behavior: effects of rate and magnitude of primary reinforcement.

Four experiments examined the free-operant observing behavior of rats. In Experiment 1, observing was a bitonic function of random-ratio schedule requirements for the primary reinforcer. In Experiment 2, decreases in the magnitude of the primary reinforcer decreased observing. Experiment 3 examined observing when a random-ratio schedule or a yoked random-time schedule of primary reinforcement was in effect across conditions. Removing the response requirement for the primary reinforcer increased observing, suggesting that the effects of the random-ratio schedule in Experiment 1 likely were due to an interaction between observing and responding for the primary reinforcer. In Experiment 4, decreasing the rate of primary reinforcement by increasing the duration of a random-time schedule decreased observing monotonically. Overall, these results suggest that observing decreases with decreases in the rate or magnitude of the primary reinforcer, but that behavior related to the primary reinforcer can affect observing and potentially affect measurement of conditioned reinforcing value.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Choice in a variable environment: effects of unequal reinforcer distributions.

Six pigeons were trained in a procedure in which sessions included seven unsignaled components, each offering two pecking keys, and each providing a potentially different reinforcer ratio between the two keys. Across conditions, various combinations of reinforcer ratios and reinforcer-magnitude ratios were used to create unequal reinforcer distributions between the two alternatives when averaged across a session. The results extended previous research using the same basic procedure that had included only reinforcer distributions symmetrical around 1:1. Data analyses suggested that the variables controlling choice operated at a number of levels: First, individual reinforcers had local effects on choice; second, sequences of successive reinforcers obtained at the same alternative (continuations) had cumulative effects; and, third, when these sequences themselves occurred with greater frequency, their effects further cumulated. A reinforcer obtained at the other alternative following a sequence of continuations (a discontinuation) had a large effect and apparently reset choice to levels approximating the sessional reinforcer ratio.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

The sensitivity of response rate to the rate of variable-interval reinforcement for pigeons and rats: a review.

The relation between the rate of a response (B) and the rate of its reinforcement (R) is well known to be approximately hyperbolic: B = kR/(R + Ro), where k represents the maximum response rate, and Ro indicates the rate of reinforcers that will engender a response rate equal to half its maximum value. A review of data reported in 17 published papers revealed that, under variable-interval schedules of reinforcement, Ro was usually lower when pigeons were the subjects than when rats were the subjects. The value of k, in contrast, did not differ consistently between pigeons and rats. Some accounts interpret Ro as the rate of alternative, unscheduled reinforcers in the situation, expressed in units of the scheduled reinforcer. So interpreted, the difference in Ro implies that less alternative reinforcement (relative to the scheduled reinforcement) typically is available to pigeons in their operant conditioning chambers than it is to rats in theirs. Whether or not that interpretation of Ro is valid, the pigeon-rat difference in Ro ensures that for reinforcer rates above about 10 per hour, response rate will be noticeably less sensitive to changes in reinforcer rate (and presumably to changes in other incentive and motivational operations) with pigeons than with rats as subjects, at least with the experimental conditions typically employed.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Replacing relative reinforcing efficacy with behavioral economic demand curves.

Relative reinforcing efficacy refers to the behavior-strengthening or maintaining property of a reinforcer when compared to that of another reinforcer. Traditional measures of relative reinforcing efficacy sometimes have led to discordant results across and within studies. By contrast, previous investigations have found traditional measures to be congruent with behavioral economic measures, which provide a framework for integrating the discordant results. This study tested whether the previously demonstrated congruence between traditional relative reinforcing efficacy measures and behavioral economic demand curve measures is sufficiently robust to persist when demand for one reinforcer is altered. Cigarette smokers pulled plungers for cigarettes or two magnitudes of money on progressive-ratio schedules that increased the response requirement across sessions. Demand for the two different reinforcers was assessed in single-schedule and concurrent-schedule sessions. Demand curve measures Pmax and Omax correlated significantly with traditional measures of breakpoint and peak response rate, respectively. Relative locations of demand curves for money and cigarettes under single schedules predicted preference in concurrent schedules in most cases. Although measures of relative reinforcing efficacy for money changed with money magnitude, the congruence between traditional and behavioral economic measures remained intact. This robust congruence supports the proposal that demand curves should replace measures of relative reinforcing efficacy. The demand curve analysis illustrates why concordance between traditional measures is expected under some experimental conditions but not others.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Superordinate category formation in pigeons: association with a common delay or probability of food reinforcement makes perceptually dissimilar stimuli functionally equivalent.

Training associated pairs of perceptually dissimilar stimulus classes with a common delay or probability of food reinforcement in pigeons. Then, different choice responses were trained to 1 component class in each pair. In a choice test, the untrained class in each pair occasioned the same response as did the choice-trained class. In a 3rd experiment, 2 classes had reinforcement delays of 1 s and 15 s, respectively, and 2 other classes had reinforcement probabilities of 0.1 and 0.9. Then, 1 choice response was reinforced to a class previously associated with a better condition of reinforcement (e.g., 1-s delay or 1.0 probability), and a different response was reinforced to a class previously associated with a worse condition of reinforcement (0.1 probability or 0-s delay). Testing with all classes suggested that categorization was based on the relative reinforcement or hedonic value and not on the parametric details of reinforcement.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Biodegradable polymer film reinforcement of an indocyanine green-doped liquid albumin solder for laser-assisted incision closure.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether solid material reinforcement of a liquid albumin solder coagulum could improve the cohesive strength of the solder and, thus, the ultimate breaking strength of the incision repair in vitro. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 50%(w/v) bovine serum albumin solder with 0.5 or 2.5 mg/ml indocyanine green (ICG) dye was used to repair an incision in bovine aorta. The solder was coagulated with an 806-nm continuous wave diode laser. A 50-micrometer-thick poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) film was used to reinforce the solder (the controls had solder but no reinforcement). Acute breaking strengths were measured, and the data were analyzed by Student's t-test. RESULTS: Observations of the failure modes indicate cohesive strength reinforcement of the test specimens vs. the controls. The 2.5 mg/ml ICG reinforced solder was stronger than the controls without reinforcement (P < 0.05) for all laser powers tested. There was no difference between the test specimens and the controls with 0.5 mg/ml ICG solder for low laser powers, but at higher laser powers, the reinforced solder was stronger than the controls (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Reinforcement of liquid albumin solders in laser-assisted incision repair seems to have advantages in terms of acute breaking strength over conventional methods that do not reinforce the cohesive strength of the solder.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Hydroxyapatite whiskers provide improved mechanical properties in reinforced polymer composites.

Synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA) whiskers have been utilized as a new, biocompatible reinforcement for orthopedic biomaterials. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) was reinforced with either the synthesized HA whiskers or a commercially available spherical HA powder using a novel powder processing technique that facilitated uniform dispersion of the reinforcements in the matrix prior to compression molding. Composites were processed for up to 60 vol % HA whiskers and up to 50 vol % spherical HA. The mechanical properties of the new composite biomaterials were examined by uniaxial tensile tests. As expected, increased volume fraction of either reinforcement type over 0-50 vol % resulted in increased elastic modulus, a maximum in ultimate tensile stress, and decreased work to failure. Composites reinforced with HA whiskers had higher elastic modulus, ultimate tensile strength, and work to failure relative to composites reinforced with spherical HA. Thus, HA whisker-reinforced HDPE composites possessed improved mechanical properties over those reinforced with spherical HA. HA whisker-reinforced composites were anisotropic due to alignment of the whiskers in the matrix during processing.

Biocompatible Materials↗
PubMed1996

Dimensional accuracy and stability of polymethyl methacrylate reinforced with metal wire or with continuous glass fiber.

The aim of this study was to determine the dimensional accuracy and stability of denture base polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), which was reinforced in various ways. Autopolymerizing PMMA and heat-cured PMMA were reinforced either with semicircular steel wire or with a prefabricated experimental reinforcement made of continuous E-glass fiber. Control specimens had no reinforcement. The width of each U-shaped test specimen was measured with a digital micrometer under a light microscope immediately after the test specimen was cured and when stored in water for 1, 2, 7, and 14 days. The results revealed that both the type of PMMA and the type of reinforcement affected the dimensional accuracy of the test specimens, especially after 7 and 14 days in water storage (p < 0.001). The greatest dimensional accuracy was found with the unreinforced test specimen made from autopolymerizing PMMA and with test specimens reinforced with the metal wire made from heat-cured PMMA. In terms of the width of the test specimens, the lowest dimensional accuracy was found in unreinforced and glass fiber reinforced specimens made from heat-cured PMMA. Storage in water did not affect the stability of the width (p > 0.1). The results suggest that the polymerization shrinkage of PMMA causes lower dimensional accuracy of the test specimens reinforced with glass fiber. This should be considered when glass-fiber reinforcement is used clinically.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1999

Use of monetary reinforcers by cocaine-dependent outpatients.

Monetary reinforcers have not been widely used as contingent reinforcers in the treatment of drug abuse, despite their demonstrated effectiveness. This is primarily due to concern that drug abusers will use monetary reinforcers to procure drugs. The present study addressed this concern by examining 48 cocaine-dependent outpatients' biweekly self-reports of how they used their earned reinforcers. For each subject, their reinforcement usage was classified into 12 higher-order categories and 34 subcategories. Usage proportions were calculated for each. Results indicated that monetary reinforcers were used very infrequently to acquire drugs or alcohol (2%). Reinforcers were used primarily for daily life activities (25%) (e.g., food and gas), money-related uses (18%) (e.g., savings and repaying debts), personal use (15%) (e.g., cosmetics and clothes), and household items (11%) (e.g., rent and bills). These findings challenge the concern that drug abusers use monetary reinforcers to purchase drugs and have important implications for the use of contingent monetary reinforcers in treatment settings.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Influence of fiber type and wetting agent on the flexural properties of an indirect fiber reinforced composite.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Different fiber types are available for reinforcing composite restorations. Little information exists regarding optimal fiber type/bonding agent combinations. PURPOSE: This in vitro study examined the influence of storage time and 2 fiber wetting agents on the flexural properties of an indirect dental composite reinforced by 3 fiber types. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three types of fiber (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, Kevlar, and Glass fiber) were used to reinforce samples of an indirect composite (Artglass) prepared to test flexural properties. Each fiber type was used to prepare 3 groups of 10 specimens after fiber wetting with an unfilled or a filled resin bonding agent. All fibers were weighed to an accuracy of 0.01 mg to standardize the amount of fiber placed in the base (tensile side) of the specimen preparation mold (2 x 2 x 25 mm). Fiber-reinforced samples wetted with the unfilled resin were stored for 24 hours before flexural testing, whereas separate groups of fiber-reinforced samples wetted with the filled resin were tested after both 24 hours and 6 months storage in water at 37 degrees C. Two additional groups of unreinforced composite control specimens (10 samples per group) were prepared, one for each of the 2 storage times, resulting in 11 groups total. Mean flexural strengths (MPa) and flexural modulus (GPa) values were determined in a 3-point bend test at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min by use of a universal testing machine. Comparisons between means were performed with 2- and 1-way analysis of variance tests (alpha=.01) to demonstrate the influence of storage time, fiber wetting agent, and fiber type on the flexural properties of the indirect dental composite tested. RESULTS: Significant increases (124% to 490%) in mean flexural strength (P<.01) were found for all fiber-reinforced groups in comparison to the unreinforced controls at both storage time intervals. The silane containing unfilled bonding agent gave the greatest reinforcing effect (364%) when used with the glass fiber material. After 6 months storage in water, a significant decline (28%) occurred in the mean flexural strength of the glass fiber-reinforced specimens (P<.01) when the filled bonding agent was used. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this study, the choice of fiber type and wetting agent was shown to have a significant positive influence on the flexural properties of the fiber-reinforced composite. When used with the silane containing unfilled bonding agent, the glass fiber increased the mean flexural strength of the unreinforced indirect composite by 364%.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2006

Flexural properties of glass fibre reinforced acrylic resin polymers.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, glass fibres have been used to strengthen denture base resins. A major difficulty in using reinforcing fibres with multiphase acrylic resins, such as powder liquid resins, is inadequate impregnation of the fibres with the resin. METHODS: This investigation examined the reinforcing effect of glass fibres on the fracture resistance and flexural strength of acrylic denture base resins. Eighty identical specimens were formed in specially designed moulds in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. The four experimental groups were prepared and these consisted of conventional acrylic resin and the same resin reinforced with glass fibres. Ten specimens were fabricated in a standardized fashion for each experimental group. Flexural strength was tested using a 3-point universal testing machine. RESULTS: In this study, statistically significant differences were found in the flexural strength of the specimens (P < 0.05). The injection-moulded, fibre-reinforced group had significantly lower flexural strength than the injection-moulded group (P < 0.001), strength than the microwave-moulded, fibre-reinforced group (P < 0.001), and the microwave-moulded, fibre-reinforced group had lower flexural strength than the microwave-moulded group. The fracture resistance was significantly higher in the injection-moulded, fibre-reinforced group than in the injection-moulded group (P < 0.05), and the fracture resistance was significantly higher in the microwave-moulded, fibre-reinforced group than in the microwave-moulded group. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this study, the flexural strength of heat-polymerized PMMA denture resin was improved after reinforcement with glass fibres. It may be possible to apply these results to distal extension partial and complete denture bases.

Acrylic Resins↗
PubMed1969

Response rate as a function of amount of reinforcement for a signalled concurrent response.

Pigeons were exposed to two equal, concurrent variable-interval schedules of reinforcement on two response keys. One key was continuously illuminated. Pecking on that key produced reinforcements of constant duration. The other key was normally dark, except that availability of reinforcement was signalled by illuminating the key. The duration of access to a grain reinforcer was varied on the key that signalled reinforcement. Rate of response on the first key, the one that did not signal reinforcement, was found to vary inversely with duration of signalled reinforcement on the other key. The latency between the signal and the peck that produced signalled reinforcement remained about constant. These results show that responding on one key in concurrent variable-interval schedules depends on the reinforcement delivered by both schedules and is independent of responding on the other key.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1969

Repeated measurements of reinforcement effects on gradients of stimulus control.

Two experiments studied the effects of reinforcement schedules on generalization gradients. In Exp. 1, after pigeons' responding to a vertical line was reinforced, the pigeons were tested with 10 lines differing in orientation. Reconditioning and the redetermination of generalization gradients were repeated from 8 to 11 times with the schedule of reinforcement varied in the reconditioning phase. Stable gradients could not be observed because the successive reconditionings and tests steepened the gradients and reduced responding. Experiment 2 over-came these effects by first training the birds to respond to all of the stimuli. Then, brief periods of reinforced responding to the stimulus correlated with reinforcement alternated with the presentation of the 10 lines in extinction. The development of stimulus control was studied eight times with each bird, twice with each of four schedules of reinforcement. Gradients were similar each time a schedule was imposed; the degree of control by the stimulus correlated with reinforcement varied with particular schedules. Behavioral contrast occurred when periods of reinforcement and extinction alternated and was more durable with fixed-interval, variable-interval, and variable-ratio schedules than with fixed-ratio or differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate schedules.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1971

Sequential patterns in post-reinforcement pauses on fixed-interval schedules of food.

Responding by one pigeon was reinforced with food on fixed-interval schedules of 30, 60, and 300 sec duration. A second pigeon was studied under fixed-interval durations of 60 and 300 sec. For both birds, the average post-reinforcement pause was one-half the duration of the fixed interval. Autocorrelation coefficients revealed first-order sequential dependencies in series of post-reinforcement pauses. On the 300-sec fixed-interval schedule, successive post-reinforcement tended to alternate between long and short durations. At the shorter fixed-interval durations there was less evidence of alternation sequences. A second experiment was conducted to determine if the time intervals between the first response after reinforcement and the next reinforcement (the work periods) were responsible for the alternation patterns in the series of post-reinforcement pauses. To evaluate the role of the work period, several procedures were used to modify the work period from that obtained on the fixed-interval 300-sec schedule. Adding a schedule to the fixed-interval schedule that set the minimum amount of time that could elapse between the first response after reinforcement and the next reinforcement eliminated the alternation pattern. Control schedules indicated that the elimination of alternation patterns resulted from constraints on the work period per se and not from confounded changes in the interreinforcement intervals.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1972

Effects of alternative reinforcement: does the source matter?

In a chamber with a single response key, pigeon's key pecks were reinforced with food according to a variable-interval schedule. In addition, extra reinforcements occurred concurrently according to an independent schedule. In one condition, availability of the extra reinforcements was signalled by a change in key color from white to red. The extra reinforcements occurred after a peck on the red key. In a second condition, the extra reinforcements were unsignalled and occurred only after a 2-sec pause in pecking for one group of subjects and were unsignalled and occurred freely as scheduled for another group of subjects. In the first two conditions, duration of reinforcement was varied. A third condition duplicated the second but varied rate rather than duration of reinforcement. The rate of pecking varied inversely with the amount of extra reinforcement per unit time according to the same function, regardless of the condition regulating occurrence of the extra reinforcements, and regardless of whether or not a 2-sec pause was required for their occurrence. The shape of this function was predicted by Herrnstein's (1970) matching law.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1973

An analysis of response and time matching to reinforcement in concurrent ratio-interval schedules.

Key pecks by six pigeons were reinforced on concurrent fixed-interval fixed-ratio schedules. The value of the fixed-interval was held constant at 4 min while the fixed-ratio varied from 25 to 450 responses. All of the pigeons responded on, with pecks reinforced under, both of the schedules over most of the concurrent pairings, and four of the six distributed responses between the schedules such that matching was obtained between the proportions of responses and reinforcements. Previous studies using concurrent variable-interval schedules have shown that when response-reinforcement matching occurs, a comparable match of time to reinforcement proportions is obtained. In the present study, time devoted to each response alternative was measured from the first response on that alternative to a subsequent response on the other alternative. Using that measure, large differences existed in the local rates of responding on the two schedules, and a time-reinforcement match was not produced. These results indicate that in a situation where response-reinforcement and time-reinforcement matching are incompatible, the measurement of response proportions is the better means of evaluating the effects of reinforcement.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1974

Preference for intermittent reinforcement.

Two experiments were conducted demonstrating that under certain conditions pigeons may peck at a higher rate on a key that produces intermittent reinforcement following a delay than on one that always produces reinforcement following the same delay duration. In both experiments, concurrent chain schedules were employed. In Experiment I, a single peck on one key led to a white light and a delay of 15 sec, which always terminated with food. A peck on the other key led to its illumination by one of two colored lights and a delay period of 15 sec. The delay was followed by either food presentation or timeout, either one lasting 3 sec. In a control group, the lights on this key were not correlated with food or timeout. Under the correlated stimuli, birds more often pecked the key leading to intermittent reinforcement, whereas with uncorrelated stimuli they pecked the key leading to the white light and 100% reinforcement. In Experiment II, concurrent variable-interval schedules were employed in the first link. The results showed generally that the relative rate was higher on the key leading to intermittent reinforcement when the stimuli were correlated with reinforcement and timeout than on the key leading to 100% reinforcement. There was some indication that this performance was affected by (1) the duration of the delay, (2) the percentage of reinforcement on the key yielding the higher percentage of reinforcement (the key with the white light), and (3) prior experimental conditions.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1974

Combinations of response-reinforcer dependence and independence.

The contribution of the response-reinforcer dependency to the control of behavior was investigated. Pigeons were trained to key peck under a variable-interval schedule of reinforcement. With the total number and temporal distribution of reinforcer deliveries in experimental sessions constant, the effects of varying the percentage of response-independent reinforcement were examined. At different times, 100%, 66%, 33%, 10%, or 0% of the scheduled reinforcers were delivered dependent upon key pecking and the remainder were delivered independently of responding. Response rates were related to the percentage of response-dependent reinforcement with lower response rates associated with smaller percentages of response-dependent reinforcement. The results suggest that the response-reinforcer relation exerts control over behavior in a manner similar to that exerted by other parameters of reinforcement.

Journal Article↗