When reinforcer availability on one alternative of a concurrent schedule is signaled by a discriminative stimulus, responding on that alternative decreases. We investigated how the correlation between signal presentation and reinforcement (signal reliability) affects choice between signaled and unsignaled alternatives. Six pigeons responded in a concurrent schedule, in which reinforcers on one alternative were signaled by a key-color change. Across conditions, the probability of reinforcement following signal presentation varied (the probability in its absence was the complement). As signal reliability increased, response rates and latencies following signal onset on the signaled alternative decreased, whereas responding on the unsignaled alternative remained unchanged. Because the signal did not alter overall reinforcer rates, these findings are consistent with matching theories and research suggesting that responding on one alternative of a concurrent schedule depends on reinforcer, but not response, rates on other alternatives. However, these findings are inconsistent with others demonstrating concomitant changes in responding on signaled and unsignaled alternatives. We consider whether a response-competition account of concurrent performance can explain these discrepancies, and suggest avenues for future studies to investigate the mechanisms underlying effects of signaled reinforcement in concurrent schedules.

中文翻译：

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信号强化：信号可靠性对信号和非信号替代方案选择的影响

当有辨别力的刺激表明对并发时间表的一个替代方案的强化剂可用性时，对该替代方案的反应就会减少。我们研究了信号呈现和强化（信号可靠性）之间的相关性如何影响信号和非信号替代方案之间的选择。六只鸽子同时响应，其中一种选择的强化物通过关键颜色的变化发出信号。在不同条件下，信号呈现后强化的概率各不相同（不存在时的概率是互补的）。随着信号可靠性的增加，在有信号的替代方案上出现信号后的响应率和延迟降低，而对无信号替代方案的响应保持不变。因为信号没有改变整体强化率，这些发现与匹配的理论和研究一致，表明对并发时间表的一种选择的反应取决于强化物，而不是对其他选择的反应率。然而，这些发现与其他研究结果不一致，表明对信号和非信号替代方案的响应伴随变化。我们考虑并发表现的反应竞争解释是否可以解释这些差异，并为未来的研究提供途径，以研究并发计划中信号强化的潜在影响机制。这些发现与其他表明在对有信号和无信号替代方案的响应中伴随变化的结果不一致。我们考虑并发表现的反应竞争解释是否可以解释这些差异，并为未来的研究提供途径，以研究并发计划中信号强化的潜在影响机制。这些发现与其他表明在对有信号和无信号替代方案的响应中伴随变化的结果不一致。我们考虑并发表现的反应竞争解释是否可以解释这些差异，并为未来的研究提供途径，以研究并发计划中信号强化的潜在影响机制。