Studies on the interaction of amount and delay of reinforcement in choice.

本研究考察了在同时选择和连续选择两种情况下强化的数量和延迟的交互作用。在同时选择的情况下，让大鼠在不同数量和延迟强化的选择之间进行选择。首先，延迟的比例在3：2是恒定的，但其绝对值是变化的。较短的延迟终止于1个食物颗粒，而较长的延迟终止于3个食物颗粒。随着加固延迟绝对值的增加，对延迟时间较长但体积较大的增强剂的偏好增加。第二，在两个不同的并行链计划的终端环节计划下，一个选择中食物颗粒的数量是变化的，而另一个选择中食物颗粒的数量是恒定的(1个颗粒)。大鼠在较短的末端连接(5秒)时，反应比率与增强剂数量比率不匹配，而在较长的末端连接(20秒)时，它们的反应比率与增强剂数量比率较匹配。在连续的选择情景中，老鼠和鸽子被暴露在一个以三种不同状态(搜索、选择和处理状态)为特征的觅食计划中。在处理时间较长(或较大)的增强剂之前，较短(或较小)增强剂的处理时间越长，越容易被接受。所有这些结果都与假设强化的数量和延迟的简单乘性交互作用的选择模型所得出的预测不一致。

The present study investigated the interaction of amount and delay of reinforcement in concurrent and successive choice situations. In concurrent choice situations, rats were given a choice between alternatives differing in amount and delay of reinforcement. First, the ratio of the delays was constant at 3:2 while their absolute values were varied. The shorter delay terminated with 1 food pellet whereas the longer delay terminated with 3 food pellets. As the absolute values of the delays to reinforcement increased, preference for the longer-delayed but larger reinforcer increased. Second, the number of food pellets was varied in one alternative while it was constant (1 pellet) in the other alternative under two different terminal link schedules of a concurrent-chains schedule. Rats undermatched the response ratios to reinforcer amount ratios with the shorter terminal links (5 sec) whereas they overmatched with the longer terminal links (20 sec). In successive choice situations, rats and pigeons were exposed to a foraging schedule characterized by three different states (search, choice and handling states). The shorter duration (or smaller) reinforcer was more likely to be accepted the longer the handling time preceding the longer duration (or larger) reinforcer. All ofthe results are inconsistent with the predictions derived from the choice model assuming a simple multiplicative interaction of amount and delay of reinforcement.