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| Author(s): |
Gerson Aparecido Yukio Tomanari
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Master's Dissertation |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Psicologia (IP/SBD) |
| Defense date: | 1995-10-06 |
| Examining board members: |
Ligia Maria de Castro Marcondes Machado;
Maria Amelia Matos;
Deisy das Graças de Souza
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| Advisor: | Ligia Maria de Castro Marcondes Machado |
| Field of knowledge: | Humanities - Psychology |
| Indexed in: |
Banco de Dados Bibliográficos da USP-DEDALUS;
Index Psi Teses - IP/USP |
| Location: | Universidade de São Paulo. Biblioteca do Instituto de Psicologia; BF319.5.R4; T655c |
| Abstract | |
The goal of this study was to assess the variables responsible for the maintenance of observing responses (OR), in a response independent condition, excluding work-economy as a relevant variable. Six food deprived pigeons were run on a one-key discrete trials observing procedure, designed after Blanchard (1975) and Schrier et a/. (1980), in order to obtain a more detailed description of observing perfonnance in this procedure. Randomly scheduled trials were signaled by white lighted disk. 50% of the trials were finished with food presentation and the other 50% without. Pecks changed disk light color according to the outcome of the trial in CRF and VI15 seconds in successive phases. A DRL6 seconds contingency was superimposed on VI15 for s+ or s- trial peclcs, in separated test phases, while pecks during altemative trials went on VI15. Responses were maintained in virtually ali the trials for CRF and VI schedules. The DRL contingency resulted in a marked decrease in the s- production but not in the s+ for ali birds, replicating Blanchard. Nevertheless, the response rate in s- increased throughout DRL operation. On one hand, these results confinn Blanchard\'s conclusion which states that S- would be aversive. On the other hand, they emphasize the possibility of reinforcement by the uncertainty reduction that would be obtained by the differential consequences in response rate. (AU) | |