Divided Attention and Reinforcement Variables

描述（由申请人提供）：注意力的分配和持续性问题发生在各种心理障碍中（例如，ADHD、自闭症、精神分裂症和药物滥用）。注意力似乎是一种自愿的技能，但很少有人知道的作用，不同的后果在控制注意力。自愿性的定量理论（即，操作性行为描述了不同的后果如何调节行为的分配和持续，并可能适用于注意。匹配定律表明，行为分配给两个选项等于从选项中获得的收益的分布。行为动量理论认为，在刺激存在的情况下，行为的持续性取决于在该刺激存在的情况下获得的强化率。本研究旨在通过动物模型检验这些理论对不同后果控制注意的适用性。将使用一个程序，其中鸽子与样本组成的两个元素（颜色和线的方向），然后要求选择一个元素从两个元素比较刺激（两种颜色或线）。准确的性能要求在样本的两个元素之间分配注意力。准确度的变化将被用来衡量分配和关注的化合物样品中的每一个元素的持久性。本研究的具体目的是：1）确定是否注意分配到一个复合刺激的元素作为一个函数的相对分布的强化注意到该元素的变化。2)探讨差异强化对中断情境下专注持续性的影响。3)开始分析差异强化影响分散注意绩效的机制。描述不同后果在控制注意力中的作用的定量理论的发展可能会导致更有效的行为干预与注意力分配和持久性问题相关的疾病。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Problems in the allocation and persistence of attention occur in various psychological disorders (e.g., ADHD, autism, schizophrenia, and drug abuse). Attention appears to be in part a voluntary skill, but little is known about the role of differential consequences in the control of attention. Quantitative theories of voluntary (i.e., operant) behavior describe how differential consequences modulate the allocation and persistence of behavior, and may be applicable to attention. The matching law suggests that the allocation of behavior to two options equals the distribution of reinforcers obtained from the options. Behavioral momentum theory suggests that the persistence of behavior in the presence of a stimulus is governed by the rate of reinforcement obtained in that presence of that stimulus. This research aims to examine the applicability of these theories to the control of attention by differential consequences in an animal model. A procedure will be used in which pigeons are presented with samples comprised of two elements (color and line orientation) and then required to chose one of the elements from two element comparison stimuli (two colors or lines). Accurate performance requires the division of attention between the two elements of the sample. Change in accuracy will be used to measure the allocation and persistence of attending to each of the elements in the compound sample. The specific aims of this research are: 1) to determine if the allocation of attention to an element of a compound stimulus varies as a function of the relative distribution of reinforcement for attending to that element. 2) To examine the effects of differential reinforcement on the persistence of attending in the face of disruption. 3) To begin an analysis of the mechanisms through which differential reinforcement affects divided attention performance. The development of quantitative theories describing the role of differential consequences in the control of attention may lead to more effective behavioral interventions for disorders associated with problems in the allocation and persistence of attention.