Signal and Schedule Functions when Pausing is the Operant

Pausing, like other operants, is affected by the schedule of reinforcement for alternative responses and the antecedent discriminative stimuli that set the occasion for it to be reinforced. The effects of both of these variables on pausing were further investigated in three experiments in which key pecking by pigeons was reinforced concurrently according to, respectively, a variable-interval schedule, a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate schedule, and a fixed-ratio schedule. The antecedent discriminative stimulus control of pausing was investigated by comparing unsignaled, briefly signaled, and fully signaled pausing contingencies in each experiment. Pigeons\u27 time allocation to pausing in both full-and brief- signal conditions with each key-peck reinforcement schedule was lower than unsignaled-baseline and control conditions, demonstrating discriminative control of pausing. Although there were no systematic differences between the brief- and full-signal conditions, how pauses of the required duration were assimilated depended on the schedule of reinforcement for pecking. The current experiments replicated prior findings with a variable-interval schedule, and extended them by showing pauses were assimilated in those pauses already maintained under a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate schedule in Experiment 2, and into the postreinforcement pause under a fixed-ratio schedule in Experiment 3. Together, these results demonstrate the antecedent and consequent control of pausing under several schedules of reinforcement for pecking, under which characteristically different peck-pause interactions emerge

Behavioral Economic Measurement of Cigarette Demand: A Descriptive Review of Published Approaches to the Cigarette Purchase Task

The cigarette purchase task (CPT) is a behavioral economic method for assessing demand for cigarettes. Growing interest in behavioral correlates of tobacco use in clinical and general populations as well as empirical efforts to inform policy has seen an increase in published articles employing the CPT. Accordingly, an examination of the published methods and procedures for obtaining these behavioral economic metrics is timely. The purpose of this investigation was to provide a review of published approaches to using the CPT. We searched specific Boolean operators ([“behavioral economic” AND “purchase task”] OR [“demand” AND “cigarette”]) and identified 49 empirical articles published through the year 2018 that reported administering a CPT. Articles were coded for participant characteristics (e.g., sample size, population type, age), CPT task structure (e.g., price framing, number and sequence of prices; vignettes, contextual factors), and data analytic approach (e.g., method of generating indices of cigarette demand). Results of this review indicate no standard approach to administering the CPT and underscore the need for replicability of these behavioral economic measures for the purpose of guiding clinical and policy decisions

Investigating infant preference for prosocial others: Replication and extension using repeated measures

Recent research suggests that infants as young as 5 months old demonstrate an innate or unlearned ability to make judgments about others\u27 prosocial and antisocial behavior. Data used to support this assertion suggest that, when given a single opportunity to choose a puppet after watching a puppet show, more infants (72-100% of infants) choose a helper puppet (the puppet that helps another puppet attain its goal) over a hinderer puppet (the puppet that hinders another puppet from attaining its goal). However, to date, no independent research teams have published a replication of these methods and results. The purpose of the current investigation was to replicate Hamlin and Wynn (2011) and extend their work by including within-subject repeated measures of choice. Twenty infants were shown a puppet show nearly identical to that used by Hamlin and Wynn (2011) and asked to make a choice between the two puppets afterwards (i.e., the helper or hinderer); infants were then asked to choose a puppet four more times, resulting in five choices per infant. Results of the current investigation failed to replicate those of Hamlin and Wynn (2011), as infants in the current investigation did not consistently choose the helper more often during subsequent choice trials. Implications and limitations of this study, as well as suggestions for future research are discussed

Investigating infant preference for prosocial others: Replication and extension using repeated measures

Recent research suggests that infants as young as 5 months old demonstrate an innate or unlearned ability to make judgments about others\u27 prosocial and antisocial behavior. Data used to support this assertion suggest that, when given a single opportunity to choose a puppet after watching a puppet show, more infants (72-100% of infants) choose a helper puppet (the puppet that helps another puppet attain its goal) over a hinderer puppet (the puppet that hinders another puppet from attaining its goal). However, to date, no independent research teams have published a replication of these methods and results. The purpose of the current investigation was to replicate Hamlin and Wynn (2011) and extend their work by including within-subject repeated measures of choice. Twenty infants were shown a puppet show nearly identical to that used by Hamlin and Wynn (2011) and asked to make a choice between the two puppets afterwards (i.e., the helper or hinderer); infants were then asked to choose a puppet four more times, resulting in five choices per infant. Results of the current investigation failed to replicate those of Hamlin and Wynn (2011), as infants in the current investigation did not consistently choose the helper more often during subsequent choice trials. Implications and limitations of this study, as well as suggestions for future research are discussed

Investigating infant preference for prosocial others: Replication and extension using repeated measures

Recent research suggests that infants as young as 5 months old demonstrate an innate or unlearned ability to make judgments about others\u27 prosocial and antisocial behavior. Data used to support this assertion suggest that, when given a single opportunity to choose a puppet after watching a puppet show, more infants (72-100% of infants) choose a helper puppet (the puppet that helps another puppet attain its goal) over a hinderer puppet (the puppet that hinders another puppet from attaining its goal). However, to date, no independent research teams have published a replication of these methods and results. The purpose of the current investigation was to replicate Hamlin and Wynn (2011) and extend their work by including within-subject repeated measures of choice. Twenty infants were shown a puppet show nearly identical to that used by Hamlin and Wynn (2011) and asked to make a choice between the two puppets afterwards (i.e., the helper or hinderer); infants were then asked to choose a puppet four more times, resulting in five choices per infant. Results of the current investigation failed to replicate those of Hamlin and Wynn (2011), as infants in the current investigation did not consistently choose the helper more often during subsequent choice trials. Implications and limitations of this study, as well as suggestions for future research are discussed

Do Infants Make Moral Judgments? Investigating Other Probable Explanations

In a now well-publicized study, Hamlin and Wynn (2011) concluded infants are born with an innate, not learned, tendency to judge the prosocial (moral) behavior of others. They based this conclusion on their study in which after watching a puppet show, 72% of infants chose the puppet that helped rather than the puppet that hindered a third puppet from attaining its goal. In the current investigation, we replicated their methods and extend their work by including a within-subject measure of infant puppet choice across repeated trials to assess the stability of infants’ choice. Twenty infants viewed a puppet show nearly identical to that described by Hamlin and Wynn (2011) and chose between two puppets (i.e., helper or hinderer) immediately following the puppet show. Although results were a similar to those of Hamlin and Wynn (2011) on the first choice trial (65% of infants chose the helper puppet on the first trial), infants did not consistently choose the helper across trials; several infants demonstrated a side bias, with 10 infants choosing puppets presented on the right or left side on at least four of five trials. Results are discussed in the context of the current replication crisis in psychology

Do Infants Make Moral Judgments? Investigating Other Probable Explanations

In a now well-publicized study, Hamlin and Wynn (2011) concluded infants are born with an innate, not learned, tendency to judge the prosocial (moral) behavior of others. They based this conclusion on their study in which after watching a puppet show, 72% of infants chose the puppet that helped rather than the puppet that hindered a third puppet from attaining its goal. In the current investigation, we replicated their methods and extend their work by including a within-subject measure of infant puppet choice across repeated trials to assess the stability of infants’ choice. Twenty infants viewed a puppet show nearly identical to that described by Hamlin and Wynn (2011) and chose between two puppets (i.e., helper or hinderer) immediately following the puppet show. Although results were a similar to those of Hamlin and Wynn (2011) on the first choice trial (65% of infants chose the helper puppet on the first trial), infants did not consistently choose the helper across trials; several infants demonstrated a side bias, with 10 infants choosing puppets presented on the right or left side on at least four of five trials. Results are discussed in the context of the current replication crisis in psychology